A Disguised Blessing
by sunne
Summary: The final battle has just ended. While Lord Voldomort has been defeated, the rest of the wizarding world is in shambles. Using a spell created by Dumbledore, Harry and Ginny travel to a new world. LJ, HG, RLOFC, and SBOFC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The small village of Hogsmeade lay eerily silent as the early morning sun shone across the vast and cloudless sky. Yellows, reds, and oranges blended to paint the sky in magnificent strokes. Swirling delicately among the colors were wisps of black smoke contrasting sharply against the brightness.

On the ground, twisted carnage told the story of a battle that raged all night and into the early hours of the morning. Flames, yet to be extinguished, licked the sky as they spread from building to building. Blood ran in rivulets between the cobblestones and pooled in ponds of dark crimson. Rubble littered the streets along with bodies. Bodies of men, women and children were scattered about as if dropped from the sky.

Ginny Weasley walked among these bodies searching for ones she knew. Her knee dipped into a small pool of blood as she knelt down beside a body laying face down. Bracing herself for the inevitable, she carefully rolled the body onto its back. A mess of red hair matted down by blood obscured the face. Ginny shoved the hair to the side to reveal a pair of cloudy brown orbs gazing lifeless into the morning sky. She stared into the eyes that had once held mischief and good humor, now they held nothing.

"George-" she choked out as her hand swept over his eyes closing them for the last time.

Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as she struggled to her feet. The ghastly scene in front of her swam for a moment as she struggled to stave off the dizziness and fatigue that threatened to overcome her. Once the world set itself right again, she moved on to the next body. A few yards away she came across another body with red hair. Turning it over, she bit back a sob. The world came to a halt as the ashen face revealed itself.

"Oh mum," Ginny whispered collapsing against her mother and buried her face in her mother's hair.

Several minutes passed as she lay curled up against her dead mother. Tears soaked the hair covering her face and the robes her mother wore. Quiet footsteps sounded behind her, and a heavy hand rested upon her shoulder.

"Come on Gin, you know what we have to do."

Her weary eyes peered up into two bleary green eyes and she sighed before struggling to stand.

"Let me help you," Harry reached out and pulled Ginny up.

The two walked slowly between both bodies and fragments of buildings. Other survivors of the final battle emerged to survey the damage and identify the dead. Earlier that morning Harry had succeeded in finally defeating Lord Voldomort after a long night of battle. The death of a much-feared figure in the wizarding world should have been met with celebration. However, many were finding it difficult to celebrate when everything was in shambles. Hogsmeade was not the only wizarding town to be completely destroyed, and the wizarding world had much to repair. While the wizarding world suffered irreversible loss, the muggle world did not escape unscathed. London fared the worst of all places being practically mowed down by trolls, giants, and dementors. Thousands upon thousands of muggles perished in the destruction.

Many deaths had occurred over the night, and Ginny and Harry struggled to keep the haunting images at bay. Images they are certain will be with them for the rest of their lives. To lose so many lives bringing down a single person almost seemed futile and pointless. However, both knew that it needed to be done. Towards the end of Voldomort's reign of terror, he had succeeded in overtaking not only Azkaban and the Ministry of Magic, but also Hogwarts.

Harry gazed sadly at the ominously dark castle, now shadowed in a black cloud off in the distance. The place that had once been his home now will forever remain a breeding ground for dark magic. Memories from that fateful night clawed at his consciousness as echoes of panicked screams resonated in his mind. Deatheaters and students who had betrayed the light had cast Unforgivables curses carelessly in those hallways. Many had died that night and many died after that night. A certain painful memory surfaced in Harry's mind as he stared at the ruined castle.

The screams of his best friend still echoed in his head at night. Screams that Harry was sure he would never be able to forget. Visions of Ron's body twisting uncontrollably as he was tortured to the point of insanity plagued his mind. Ron's death had hit Harry where it hurt the most, right in his bruised heart. Voldomort had begun taking down those closest to Harry because he knew it would be those deaths that would hurt Harry the most. Unfortunately, Voldomort was right and Harry struggled everyday to survive without the support of those he loved.

Once that memory ran its course, another memory began, a memory of a dark December night outside a muggle home in a small muggle town outside of London. Harry had begged Remus to take him to check on Hermione after his numerous letters had gone unanswered. When the pair arrived on the Granger's front lawn, the sickening green mark glowing mockingly above their house told him that Hermione and her parents were no longer alive. The interior of the house was ransacked and blood splatters decorated the walls as if put there by a child. Three bodies were found in the kitchen, all mutilated beyond recognition. If Ron's death haunted him while he was awake, it was Hermione's death that haunted his dreams.

A light touch brought Harry out of his memories and into the nightmare that was the current day.

"I miss them too," Ginny said quietly grabbing hand.

"I just wish things didn't have to turn out as devastating as this," he sighed looking around him.

"That's why Dumbledore taught us the spell," Ginny made to grasp his other hand, but he angrily shook her off.

"They weren't supposed to die. This isn't right. They're supposed to be here with us. We're supposed to make this journey as a group," tears brimmed at his eyes.

"Harry," love was evident in her voice as tears of her own streaked down her dirt stained cheeks, "you know they can't make this journey with us. We have to make it for them. This is our chance to set things right."

As he gazed into the eyes of a girl who had grown up too quickly, he nodded his understanding, "I know."

Ginny squeezed his hand reassuringly and reached for Harry's other hand. Direct contact was imminent for the spell to work properly. A full circuit was needed and the joining of all hands was essential. Brown eyes met green again, and both assumed the necessary position in the middle of the street.

"Are you ready?" Ginny quietly asked Harry.

"As ready as I'll ever be," he responded

"Capio ego ut locus quatenus lucidus novus initium," both chanted with their eyes locked on each other.

What started off as quiet chanting gradually grew louder until the barren streets of Hogsmeade thundered with their words. Just as they thought the spell would not work, warmth grew in their joined hands. The heat increased and spread up their arms at a steady pace, filling their bodies. Power shared between the two and extracted from time itself pulsated around the pair like a shield. The shield of power grew bright, and pressure began to build within the power shield. Maintaining eye contact grew troublesome as Harry and Ginny struggled to stay conscious.

The chanting and surge of power reverberated within their heads and throbbed down through their bodies. Bright white light began to pulse along with the pulsing of power to the rhythm of their joined heartbeats. The light grew brighter and the power pulsed stronger until a monstrous surge of power echoed throughout Hogsmeade, and in its wake, left nothing of the chanting pair.

In the time it took to take a breath, Harry and Ginny had disappeared, leaving behind the smoldering remains of a ruined village.

OOO

Chilled wind wound around the trees on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest next to Hogsmeade. Night had fallen, and darkness coated the forest and adjacent field in eerie shadows that danced in the wind. Dark clouds hung low in the sky and promised snowfall by morning.

With a howl, the wind picked up and adopted a slight pulsing rhythm. Magic tingled at the edge of the forest. A tiny pinprick of light grew substantially bigger in size as the pulsing wind grew in frequency. Then, without cause, the pulsing stopped, the light disappeared, and two figures dropped to the ground with a dull thud.

Harry groaned from his uncomfortable position on the frozen ground. Rubbing his hand tiredly over his face, he fixed his skewed glasses before cracking open his eyes to see a vast black sky dotted with stars. A snowy owl flew overhead, letter in beak, and hooted at him causing a sad smile to grace his lips. He missed Hedwig and cursed his uncle for locking her up in their garage the previous summer, starving her. His uncle had had enough of 'freakish' habits and decided Hedwig was the first to go.

Beside him Ginny groaned and turned over on her back to gaze at the sky. She shivered slightly and turned her head to find Harry lying next to her.

"Where do you suppose we are?" she asked sitting up, observing the darkness around her.

"I'm not too sure. I know that's the Forbidden Forest," he gestured to the forest behind him, "and I'm assuming those lights over there are Hogsmeade."

Ginny looked where Harry indicated and saw a splattering of lights off in the distance.

"However," Harry added, "I don't know what kind of world we're in."

"Which ever world we're in, it's bloody cold. I wish I brought my cloak," Ginny wrapped her arms around herself and scooted closer to Harry. Harry in return wrapped an arm around Ginny. She let Harry's body heat warm her up slightly before asking the question that had begun nagging in her mind.

"What do we do Harry?"

"About what?"

"What do we do here? Where do we go?"

Harry mulled over her questions for a few minutes. _What_ do they do? _Where_ do they go? In the past, there had always been an answer to these questions, somebody to go to, and somewhere to go. Who could they trust? In their world, Dumbledore had always been someone Harry could trust. Was Dumbledore even in this world? A plan began to loosely form in Harry's mind, and he voiced his thoughts to the redhead sitting next to him.

"I think first we should find out if Dumbledore is still headmaster at Hogwarts. If he is, I think we should pay a visit to our old friend," Harry reasoned, "But in the meantime, I think we should go into Hogsmeade for the night. If those lights are in fact Hogsmeade."

Ginny agreed as they got to their feet and began walking towards the lit town. The wind still howled and cut through their clothes harshly, but Ginny felt a small spark of hope at the prospect of a plan in their minds. If Dumbledore were alive in this world, and on the light's side, he would know what to do about them.

"Do you think Voldomort's alive here?" she asked suddenly, glancing at Harry walking beside her.

"I don't know. I would hope not, but I have a feeling he's still around."

"What do you mean?" Her brow furrowed in a frown.

"Ever since he returned in my fourth year, my scar has buzzed with his presence. I could sense him, the connection we had. When I killed him, it was like somebody pushed a button and his presence disappeared. He just wasn't there. But here, I can sense him. He's still active," he said rubbing his scar absentmindedly.

Ginny sighed at the revelation, "Do you think things are as bad here as they were at home?"

"I dunno, Gin," Harry whispered looking skyward.

The dark clouds parted momentarily revealing the iridescent full moon. Harry gazed mournfully at the bright orb.

"Every time I see the full moon, I can't help but think of Remus," sadness echoed in his soft voice.

"He shouldn't have died the way he did," Ginny remarked angrily.

"No one should have died the way they did, Gin."

Death held neither prejudices nor discrimination. This Ginny knew well. Her family didn't deserve to die. Hermione didn't deserve to die. Dumbledore, Hagrid, and hundreds of other people didn't deserve to die. However, an opinion lurked in her mind that she felt strongly for. Against her better judgment, she voiced her thoughts.

"What about Voldomort? I think he deserved to die," she cautiously edged her way around the sensitive topic.

"He deserved to die in a way," he began before pausing to search for the right words, "but I killed him, Gin. I killed someone. I'm a murderer," he whispered, horrified at his own revelation.

She grasped for his hand in the dark and turned him to face her, "You may have killed him, but in no way are you a murderer. A murderer kills people in cold blood without reason. You, Harry, are not a cold-blooded murderer. You are Harry Potter. A brave young man dropped into a life he didn't ask for."

Harry shifted awkwardly where he stood and bit his lip before replying softly, "I know, but I still can't help but feel guilty, as if I did something wrong."

The pair resumed their walk towards Hogsmeade, joined at the hands.

"When I was little, I used to take all the rules thrown at me as black and white. If you followed them, you were right. If you didn't follow them, you were wrong. As I grew up, I began to see the gray area," Ginny explained, "Sometimes breaking the rules was the right thing to do. When you killed Voldomort, you weren't wrong because it was the right thing to do. If you hadn't killed him, he would have continued hurting people. Do you see what I'm getting at Harry?"

"Yeah, I see what you mean," he answered as he looked at the ground rubbing the back of his neck.

The full moon began its nightly decent as Harry and Ginny entered Hogsmeade. The small village stood exactly as it had in their world before the final battle. Seeing such a loved village unharmed and unaffected by the tragedies of war unearthed strong emotions in each of them.

Streetlights, lit with Forever Burn charms, spilled pools of light at even intervals along the street. Shops, closed for the night, stood as dark sleeping giants. Not a soul was out wandering around at this hour of the night. Somewhere in a side alley a clattering noise echoed loudly in the still darkness of the night.

"What was that?" Ginny's war trained reflexes brandished her wand with incredible speed as she flattened herself against the sidewall of Honeydukes.

"I dunno," Harry whispered, peering around the corner of the building as he clenched his wand, ready to fire a quick succession of spells if needed.

"It's not Deatheaters is it?"

Harry squinted his eyes to see into the darkness just in time to see a skinny black cat stalking out of the alley, its tail held high. Relieved, Harry sighed and addressed Ginny.

"No, it's just a cat."

The pair reemerged from their hiding spot and walked in the opposite direction of the alley, towards The Three Broomsticks.

A bell jingled, signaling their entrance into the warm pub. Half dozen round tables, surrounded by wooden chairs, were scattered about on the floor with a long counter leading into the back kitchen against the back wall.

"Hold on a sec, I'll be right out," a woman's voice called from the kitchen.

Harry voiced his understanding and ushered Ginny to the counter. Both collapsed onto cushioned stools and studied a Daily Prophet issue left behind on the counter.

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed pointing to the paper's date.

"November 2nd, 1981, did we get sent back in time?"

"It looks like we did. Do you think this is still our world just in the past, or a different world in the past," she wondered quietly.

"Not sure."

Ginny scanned the front page and stopped at an article at the bottom, "Potters Rumored to Bury Their Son, Harry James Potter, Tomorrow Morning: Location of Burial Unknown."

Whipping his head around, Harry read the article over Ginny's shoulder.

"Oh Merlin, my parents are alive," he breathed wide-eyed.

A seedling of hope grew in Harry's chest as he continued to read the article.

Ginny smiled at Harry pointing at the article, "And look, Dumbledore's supposed to attend the burial. It also mentions that he's still the headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Well, that answers some of our questions," he stated with a grin, "And my parents are alive," he whispered rolling the idea around in his head.

Glad to see her friend happy, Ginny wrapped her arm around the messy-haired boy seated on the stool next to her as Madam Rosmerta appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel hanging from her waist.

"What can I get for you?" Rosmerta asked before truly taking in the two disheveled individuals sitting at her counter, "Bloody hell! Did something happen? It wasn't Deatheaters, was it? Merlin knows they'll be out for revenge after you-know-who disappeared."

Harry and Ginny shared a look before directing their attention back to the frazzled barmaid.

"No, nothing like that, we've just been traveling all day, and we're tired. How much is a night's stay and a meal?" Harry asked.

Relieved, Rosmerta answered, "Oh, of course. A room for the night and a meal are ten sickles."

Harry rooted around in the pocket of his robes and handed Rosmerta ten silver coins.

Depositing the money in the register, she entered the kitchen in search of two meals while still addressing Harry and Ginny, "It's been a crazy few days, what with You-Know-Who disappearing. Everybody's out celebrating. They're all fools if you ask me. If he just up and disappeared, then he's bound to show up again sometime. We're not truly safe until he's really gone."

She soon returned with two plates of food in hand. Chicken potpie, rolls, green beans, and treacle tart were all laid out in front of Harry and Ginny. Having not eaten since before the final battle, both hungrily dove into their late dinner as Rosmerta chatted.

"Oh, but those poor Potters. To loose a child is the worst thing that could happen to a parent."

"What exactly happened?" Ginny asked through a mouthful of green beans.

Confused, the barmaid asked, "You don't know?"

Realizing her small mistake, Ginny explained, "We know the general details, but since we've been traveling for the past several days, we don't know anything specific."

"Oh, right," she began before pausing to refill Harry's water glass, "Well, two night ago You-Know-Who attacked the Potter's home. Nobody really knows exactly where their home is for they've been in hiding. I've heard one of James' friends betrayed them."

Harry nodded at this last statement, urging Rosmerta to continue.

"Well, around midnight, You-Know-Who broke into their house and killed their little boy. The killing curse, after killing little Harry, rebounded and hit You-Know-Who. He wasn't killed, only weakened, but he still managed to escape. Wizards and witches across Britain have been celebrating like he was dead," Rosmerta shook her head sadly and then cleared away the dirty dinner dishes.

Once Rosmerta disappeared into the kitchen to take care of the dishes, Ginny turned to Harry, "Instead of your parents dying and you living, you died and your parents lived."

"It's like our world, but backwards."

Ginny nodded and watched as Harry stared off pensively.

"I've always wanted this," Harry began, "I've always wanted to know my parents."

Ginny nodded, "Do you think my family is alive here?"

Turning his head, Harry looked at Ginny's teary eyes.

"I can't give you a definite answer, but I would imagine so. We can find out through," he grabbed her hand and squeezed it as Ginny nodded.

The door to the kitchen swung open and Rosmerta exited, an old bronze key in hand.

"Well, I imagine you two dears are just about ready to fall over from exhaustion. This is your key to your room," she handed Harry the key, "Your room is number ten. It's right through that door, up the stairs, to the left, and at the end of the hall. Sleep well."

Ginny followed Harry through the door indicated by Rosmerta and climbed the stairs with heavy legs. They easily found room number ten, which was comfortably furnished with a king-sized bed and bureau. Eyeing the bed, Harry and Ginny wearily collapsed upon the springy mattress.

With a tired sigh, both let sleep pull them under, and for the first time since the war began, each slept soundly.

OOO

Not too far away, in an old castle, an old man woke with a start. From a golden perch in the corner of his room, a fiery phoenix ruffled its feathers and cracked open one eye staring at the old man sitting up in bed.

Blinking away the sleep still claiming his eyes, the old man tried to discern the exact reason for waking up. Nothing in his room was out of place, he couldn't remember a bad dream, and none of his numerous alarms were going off.

However, he could feel a change in the air. Something had happened, not necessarily bad, but something nonetheless. Knowing nothing could be done at this late hour of the night, he let sleep wash over him once more as he anticipated the events of tomorrow.

OOO

**Author's Note: **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I enjoyed writing it. I love HP fanfictions where Harry travels to another dimension and meets his parents so I had to write one of my own. Review if you like, and brownie points to anyone who can tell me who the old man was in that last bit. Have a good one!

"Capio ego ut locus quatenus lucidus novus initium," loosely translates to "Take me to a place where there's a bright new start," in Latin. I don't know Latin so if the grammar and whatnot is incorrect, you'll have to excuse my mistake.

-Sunne


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **It seems I neglected to mention that the world of Harry Potter is not my own, no matter how much I wish it was, in my first chapter. Anyways, the honors of this brilliantly laid out world goes to JK Rowling.

**Chapter Two**

The tiny white casket shone ironically bright in the early morning sunlight while a small group of oddly dressed people surrounded it. Chilled air hung around the mourners and weighed down upon their hearts. Standing before the group, wearing robes of the deepest black, was Albus Dumbledore.

"Life is precious," he solemnly began, "especially in times of war. When it is taken away in ways such as this one at such a young age, it affects us in unimaginable ways. Pain, grief, anger, revenge, and hopelessness are just a few of the emotions we may experience. We must band together in times like these and rely on the support of others, and the memories of this young life lost. Focus on the knowledge that someday this war will end, and funerals such as these will become a thing of the past. However, until that day arrives, we must live each day to the fullest and remember those we love."

Dumbledore stepped back; hands clasped behind his back allowing the small group of people to say their last goodbyes. A messy-haired man was the first to step forward.

"I don't understand why you had to be taken away like this. You're my child, my Prongslet. I never knew I could love someone so much at a first glance. The moment you came into this world, I knew I'd love you forever. You were the light in this ever darkening world," tears dripped off of James Potter's nose as he stepped back from the casket.

Sirius Black approached the tiny casket and laid a plush dog toy on top. "I know how much you hated to part with your dog, so I thought you should keep it," his voice cracked at the last words before he continued, "I love you Cub. You know I always will love you. You'll always be in our memories."

He retreated to stand beside his grieving best friend as a sandy-haired man said his goodbyes.

"We're going to miss you more than you'll ever know. I'll never forget your laugh or the way you'd bounce up and down in your chair every time I'd come for a visit. You'll always be in my dreams Pup." Remus Lupin limped away from the casket, effects of last night's full moon still lying heavily upon him.

The last mourner kneeled down next to the casket and placed her hands atop the lid. With her head bowed, she began to sob.

"My little boy, how could someone have taken you away from me? You were the light in my life. I loved every day I had with you. I'm going to miss you so much. I love you," she cried, burying her face in her hands.

"Come on, Lils, it's time to go home." James helped his wife to her feet and led her out of the small private graveyard not too far from their home.

Dumbledore joined alongside them while Remus and Sirius followed.

"I want to thank you, Albus, for coming." James glanced at the man, "It meant a lot to us."

Smiling sadly, he replied, "I wouldn't have missed it for anything, my boy."

"Will it ever get any easier, Albus?" Lily mumbled, her arm linked in her husband's.

Dumbledore remained silent in thought for a few moments before answering, "Loosing a child is never easy, my dear, but the pain will lessen with time."

"When?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly, "Only time will tell."

With a heavy sigh, she nodded.

Soon, their two-story cottage appeared situated at the end of a secluded muggle street. They entered the backdoor, and once a pot of tea was put on to boil, they seated themselves around the kitchen table.

"I miss him already," Lily whispered into the silence.

"Me too," James replied covering Lily's hand with his own.

"We should have just kept me the Secret Keeper," Sirius seethed, "Then that _rat_ would never have had the chance to betray us."

"What are we going to do about Wormtail?" James sneered at the name.

"Hunt him down and kill him," Lily growled as she toyed with a bib that previously hung over the highchair.

"We must not act in haste, my dear. Actions without thoughts are what get us into tricky situations," Dumbledore peered at Lily over his half-moon spectacles.

"But I want to hurt him. He hurt my little boy. He betrayed us." The bib crumpled in her hand.

"Peter has performed an unforgivable act of betrayal. However, we don't need any of you thrown in Azkaban for murder," he said looking at each of the young adults seated around the table in turn.

"Why would he betray us?" Remus asked as Lily got up to tend to the teapot that had begun to whistle.

"What have we ever done to him that deserves this?" Sirius demanded pounding the table angrily.

"Nothing," James sighed, "We've done nothing to him."

"Do you think he was always in league with Voldomort?" Lily wondered as she returned with the tea.

Albus poured himself a cup and added lemon and a cube of sugar. "We may never know."

"I constantly find myself going through our past years of friendship looking for clues that he was a traitor." Sirius said rubbing his temples tiredly.

James nodded. "Sure we used to prank him a little, but it was never as bad as we used to do to Snape or the Slytherins."

"Do you remember in sixth year how he used to disappear some nights?" Remus asked.

"Do you think he was attending Deatheater meetings?" Sirius replied.

"I always thought he was going off to snog his girlfriend," James rubbed his face tiredly.

"He never had a girlfriend," Remus said, "He made her up after you and Lily started dating. I guess he didn't want to be left out."

At this, Dumbledore stood and set his teacup in the sink. "I have matters I must tend to at Hogwarts. If you need anything," he glanced pointedly at Lily and James, "don't hesitate to firecall me."

"We will," James assured as he escorted Dumbledore to the fireplace, "and thank you for being here for the funeral."

"Of course, my boy," Dumbledore said as he stepped into the fireplace.

Then, with a flash of green light, the old wizard disappeared. James, lost in thought, stared at the dying down flames for a moment before he returned to the kitchen where the remaining three people were tearfully engaged in sharing memories of the little boy they had lost.

OOO

Miles away in Ottery St. Catchpole, a young baby girl woke with a small cry from her morning nap. Her red hair swept over her face as she shook her head to and fro. Tiny limbs struggled to free themselves from the secondhand garment encasing her feet. She didn't feel well. Her heart raced uncomfortably fast, and her head hurt terribly. She opened her mouth to cry for her mother, but not a sound came out. Lethargy crept up her body as her heartbeat slowed dramatically.

The room swam out of focus, and her immature infant mind tried hopelessly to understand what was happening. Darkness crept into her vision as breathing became difficult. Then, with one last beat, her heart stopped. She limply fell into the void that was death.

Moments later, a piercing shriek shook the house as the mother raced down the stairs, her infant daughter clutched to her chest.

The Weasley family would never be the same.

OOO

In a small house in Surrey, a pudgy little boy's insistent screams rattled the windows.

"I won't, I won't," he wailed, gripping the television set.

"Come Popkin," his mother fretted, "this one's broken."

"I won't, I won't." His plump fingers turned white at the knuckles.

"Daddy and I promise we'll buy a new one as soon as he returns home from work."

The boy's interested shifted away from the television set he had attached himself to at the prospect of a new one. However, his hands stayed firmly in place, not entirely sure of his mother's offer.

"And we'll visit the ice cream shop!" she coaxed excitedly.

Fully persuaded, the boy released his hold on the television set.

OOO

The afternoon sun illuminated Hogsmeade brightly as Harry and Ginny headed towards the dirt path that would take them to Hogwarts. Shoppers surrounded them on both sides creating a constantly changing music of chatter and laughter. Euphoria surged through them at the sight of the Wizarding World without its war torn and traumatized appearance they had become accustomed to.

"If this is 1981," Ginny started, counting on her fingers, "then I think this would be Bill's first year at Hogwarts. Do you think we'll see him?"

"I dunno. It's a little after lunch," he said glancing at his watch, "so I think everyone would be in classes right now."

"Oh, right."

"But you never know," he added.

"True."

The two rounded a corner and stepped onto Hogwart's grounds spending a moment to gaze at the loved castle before crossing the grounds and climbing the steps to the front doors. Creaking them open, Harry peeked inside to make sure the coast was clear before ushering Ginny inside.

With students in classes, the hallways were blissfully empty and silent.

"I've been thinking," Ginny whispered.

"Uh oh, this can't be good."

"Watch it, Mister," she threatened holding him at wand point, "Might I remind you who invented the Bat Bogey Hex?"

Holding his hands up in surrender, Harry apologized, "Sorry, sorry."

"Anyways, what I was saying was I've been thinking. It's impossible for two people to exist in on place at the same time, right?"

Harry nodded remembering something Hermione read to him once.

"This world's version of you died when we got transported here. Since I'm assuming that there's a this world's version of me, do you think I died in this world?"

"Hmm, I would think so," he responded thoughtfully.

"That's a creepy thought," she said shivering slightly.

Harry nodded. "Try reading about your death."

The stone gargoyle came into their view and both stared at the statue unsure of what to do next.

"You don't suppose he uses candy names as passwords in this world?" Ginny wondered.

"There's only one way to find out. Chocolate Frog."

Nothing.

"Acid Pop."

Again nothing.

"Fizzing Whizbee."

"Lemon Drop."

"Ice Mice."

Still nothing.

"Skittles?"

Ginny quirked an eyebrow at Harry's password attempt.

"Muggle candy," he explained.

Dozens of wizard and muggle candies were offered to no avail. Giving up for the moment, they rested against the far wall. Ginny toyed with a stray thread sticking out of the cuff of Harry's robes as he peered around the corner checking for Filch or patrolling teachers.

Then the gargoyle sprung out of the way revealing the entrance to the Headmaster's Office. A lanky boy shot out of the opening, a shock of red hair covering his head as Gryffindor robes flailed behind him. Ginny stared at him as he disappeared down the corridor, a hint of a sob echoing down the hall. Recognition dawned on her face as Harry pulled her in just before the gargoyle returned to his previous position.

"Come in," the familiar voice beckoned once Harry rapped three times on the door.

It was like stepping back in time for Harry and Ginny. Every instrument, portrait, book, and parchment was in the exact place remembered. Fawkes, who previously had been taking an afternoon nap, cracked open one eye at the two new arrivals and chirped a short song of approval. Sitting behind the desk, currently weighed down with numerous parchments and various oddly shaped instruments, all spinning and whirring, was Albus Dumbledore. The midnight black robes he wore contrasted sharply with the bleached whiteness of his beard, and while his eyes had his characteristic sparkle, sadness lurked beneath.

"Ah," Dumbledore gazed at Harry and Ginny expectantly, "I see we have some visitors. Do sit," he said gesturing towards two plush chairs positioned in front of his desk. "Would you like some tea?"

With a tiny flick of his wrist, an ornate teapot paired with three steaming cups of tea appeared among the mess strewn on his desk. Thanking the professor, the two took the offered tea.

"I do love new faces," Dumbledore smiled, "However, I do not have any names for these faces."

Setting her teacup down, Ginny took a deep breath, glanced at Harry, and answered, "I'm Ginny Weasley and this is Harry Potter. We need to discuss something of great importance with you."

Harry felt Dumbledore gently prod at his Occlumency shields, and he weakened them enough to pass through the necessary information to gain Dumbledore's trust. Satisfied with the information he gained, Dumbledore folded his hands and smiled at Harry and Ginny.

"How interesting," he remarked, "but go on," Dumbledore urged with an air of surprise and excitement.

"Have you ever heard of the _Capio ego ut locus quatenus lucidus novus initium _spell?" She asked.

"_Capio ego ut locus quatenus lucidus novus initium_," he frowned as he mumbled, " _lucidus novus_ instead of _lucidum novu_. That just might work."

Abruptly, Dumbledore swung his chair around and rummaged around on a shelf chocked full of rolled up parchments. Finding the one he wanted, he pulled it out and unfurled it on his desk. He made a few minor notes before rolling it up once again and replacing it on the shelf behind his desk. That done, he returned his attention to Harry and Ginny.

"Yes, in fact I have heard of it. If my calculations are correct, it's a spell I've been working on for the past decade." He steepled his fingers and studied the two young adults sitting before him, "I must know, how have you heard of a spell that I have just now finished creating?"

This time, Harry spoke up, "Professor, we used that spell in our world, and we ended up here."

"I see," he studied Harry closely. "This spell is crafted in a way to only work if the casters are in dire need of it. If it is not too rude of myself to ask, what exactly caused you to cast this spell?"

Taking a deep breath, Harry began to explain, "In our world, war had been raging for some time against Voldomort. Deaths were occurring left and right. People who we thought were fighting for the light were actually fighting for the dark and vice versa. Villages, towns, and cities of all sizes and magical make-up were being taken over by Deatheaters. Things weren't looking good, Professor."

"We were loosing," Ginny whispered, "Entire families were being destroyed. The Ministry of Magic was infiltrated with Deatheaters a few months before the final battle. Afterwards, things grew real grim. People began taking their own lives; they didn't want to live in a world of darkness. You, in our world, saw that no matter which side won the war, the world would be in ruins. A few months before you died, in our world, you taught Harry, myself, and two others this spell."

"Who were the other two?" Dumbledore interrupted.

"Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. They died," Harry replied, trying to cover the emotion evident in his voice, "Aside from Ginny, they were my two best friends. We were a team, the four of us. You didn't want us to live in a ruined world; we've had a hard enough life as is. So, you taught us this spell to use at the end of the war."

Dumbledore leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, "Who won?"

"We did. I killed him." Harry drained his teacup and returned it to the tray on the desk.

"Neither can live while the other survives," Dumbledore mused, "It was prophesized that you would be the one with the power to kill him in your world too?"

Harry nodded. A moment of silence was shared between the three while Dumbledore banished the tea set with a wave of his hand. The silence stretched on for a few seconds before Ginny broke it.

"May I ask you a question, Professor?"

"Curiosity is what keeps us young, my dear."

"In our world, we left on May 22nd, 1997 and arrived here where it's November 2nd, 1981. Why did we go back in time?"

"The spell was designed to bring you to a place where you could find true happiness and a fresh start," he explained.

At this, Harry whispered, "My parents, my parents are alive in this world."

"They are indeed. Are they not in yours?" Dumbledore asked.

Harry shook his head, "In my world, they died on October 31, 1981, and I lived. I think our worlds are reverses of each other. While my parents died and I lived in my world, in this world I died and my parents lived."

"I see you've read yesterday's issue of the Daily Prophet," Dumbledore remarked and then reached into a drawer of his desk and pulled out a glass jar, "Would either of you like a lemon drop?"

Harry and Ginny raised their eyebrows at the old man, giving him a funny look.

"You must excuse me," he said popping a sweet into his mouth, "my cravings for these muggle sweets hit me at the most inopportune times."

"Professor," Ginny piped in again, "I have another question."

"Go on, my dear."

"Two people can't exist in one place at the same time, right?"

"You are correct."

"Well, when we came to this world, this world's Harry died. What about this world's me? Is there a this world's me?"

Dumbledore's eyes saddened at the question, "It seems this morning you passed away."

Ginny's face paled slightly as she took in the news.

"My family, how…how are they taking it?" She frowned thinking of her family.

"The Weasleys are a tight-knit group, as you know," he glanced at Ginny over his spectacles, "They are taking it as well as you could imagine."

She nodded in understanding. A memory of the death of her father surfaced in her mind. With it came images of a grief-stricken house, and a family torn apart by death and sorrow.

"Could…could I see my family?" She tentatively asked.

"I can certainly arrange that."

"What about my family," Harry interrupted, "Could I meet my parents."

"Of course, it is this meeting, which will bring you great joy and the opportunity for a fresh start, that brought you two to this world."

An owl hovering outside the window tapped impatiently on the glass. Dumbledore swiveled in his chair to let the bird in. He freed the parchment attached to the bird's leg and quickly read through it.

"It appears that we are out of time." Dumbledore tucked the parchment away in a drawer and turned to address Harry and Ginny, "I have much to attend to, and evidently a replacement Charms teacher to find. I trust you are staying at The Three Broomsticks?"

"We are, Professor," Harry replied standing up.

"Good, I will be in contact with you," he said walking Harry and Ginny to the door.

Bidding Dumbledore farewell, Harry and Ginny left his office and returned to The Three Broomsticks.

OOO

Author's Note: Wow, I never expected the response this fic would have. I've had 11 reviews, 229 hits, this is on 3 c2s already, 6 people have listed this in their favorites, and 20 people have this on alert. Wow! Thank you for reading, it means a lot to me. Also, thanks for all the reviews. I'm glad you all like this fic. Have a good one! 

- Sunne


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Remus sat staring out the window of his kitchen. The moon hung low in the sky, almost mockingly as if to remind him that in barely three weeks time he would be under the moon's control. Shivering at the thought, he shifted his gaze to his kitchen table where several opened letters lay.

**FLOURISH & BLOTT'S**

Diagon Alley

_Dear Mr. Lupin,_

_We thank you for expressing interest in working for our store. However, we have reviewed your application and have decided that you do not meet the requirements needed for this job. Sorry for the inconvenience and good luck in searching for a job._

_Sincerely,_

_Alfred Manning_

_Store Manager_

Another similar letter read:

**MAGICAL MENAGERIE**

Diagon Alley

_Dear Mr. Lupin,_

_Thank you for taking the time to interview with us. Your knowledge and passion for magical creatures was incredible. However, the position you applied for is already filled._

_Sincerely,_

_Veranda Spec_

_Store Manager_

A dozen more letters of similar content lay on the table, all saying the same thing in different words. He was unqualified for the job, they were in no need of extra help, the position was already filled, or one of several other excuses not to hire him that all bottled down to one conclusion: They would not hire a werewolf.

Money was beginning to wear thin for Remus and finding a way to support himself was beginning to prove impossible. If a source of income didn't appear soon, he feared that he would need to go to James and Lily or Sirius. Of course, this was a last resort for Remus; his pride would push him to the ends of his Gringotts vault before he went to his friends.

The increasing money troubles paired with the recent death of his best friend's son weighed heavily on his conscience. Remus returned his gaze to the window and glared at the moon.

His whole life came down to the glowing orb in the sky. If it weren't for the moon, he knew he wouldn't have half the problems he currently had.

OOO

It had been three days since his godson's funeral, and Sirius couldn't get his act together. His small flat in Muggle London was a mess. Dirty clothes were thrown around the bedroom, old food boxes littered the floor in the living room, and the garbage, which had acquired a rather foul odor, had not been taken out in several days. For Sirius, days melted with nights into one long succession of depressing moments caught in memories of his godson.

Midday sun peeked through the blinds as Sirius shuffled into his kitchen. Stubble covered his face and dark rings shadowed his eyes. He yanked the refrigerator door open to find something acceptable to eat causing the towering garbage to spill over the kitchen floor.

"Oh, bloody hell," he yelled at the garbage, slamming the fridge door shut.

Drawing his wand, he thrust it towards the scattered pile of trash muttering a spell. When the spell fizzled at the end of his wand, Sirius chucked his wand over his shoulder and bent down to the tiled floor.

"I'll do it the bloody muggle way then," he mumbled picking up the spilt trash.

Sirius heaved the heavy bag over his shoulder and stalked out the front door making certain to slam it. He turned a corner and pushed his way through the double doors. A corner of the garbage bag caught on the sharp edge of the latch, and the bag ripped, spilling the contents once again over the floor.

"Merlin, why do you hate me?" Sirius asked the ceiling.

Defeated, he glared at the ruined garbage bag as he stood dejectedly in the pile of old food containers, banana peels, and used tissues. Sighing, he stooped down and began gathering up the trash.

A little ways down the hall, a door opened, and a petite Muggle woman approached Sirius, a fresh garbage bag in hand.

"I hate when this happens." She bent down next to Sirius and started picking up the garbage.

He snuck a glance at her from beneath the messy mop he had been calling hair and quickly averted his eyes when her chocolate brown eyes met his strikingly blue ones.

"I'm Rosemary." Her American accent shone through in her voice as she stuck her hand out for Sirius to shake.

"Sirius." He managed a strained smile as he shook her hand.

"I'm new around here," she said tying off the string on the garbage bag, "so I don't know many people. Maybe you would like to have coffee sometime…or tea, if that's what you like," she added at the last minute.

Sirius took the bag from her. "Maybe."

Rosemary smiled before returning to her flat. Sirius deposited the garbage in the dumpster before also returning to his flat. When he opened the door, a large owl was awaiting him on the kitchen table pecking at some day old pizza.

_Sirius-_

_A matter of utmost importance has arisen that involves you, James, Lily and Remus. We will have a meeting to discuss this tomorrow at 4 pm in my office. Owl back ONLY if you cannot attend._

_-Albus Dumbledore_

_P.S. I fancy Starbursts._

OOO

Lily scurried around in the kitchen straightening up. The effects of the past few days were evident throughout the disorderly house. Draining the sink of sudsy water, she bustled out of the bright room and into the living room.

"James," she yelled up the stairs, "what's taking you so long?"

She impatiently stood at the foot of the stairs listening for a response. When none came, she climbed the stairs in search of her husband.

"I swear, if you are planning a prank, I will hex you into oblivion James Potter!"

Lily stalked down the hallway and peeked into their bedroom where he had previously been taking a nap. When no James was found, she crossed the hall to the small study.

"We need to leave for Hogwarts in five minutes. This is no time for your games," she reprimanded to the empty study, allowing the anger to cover her growing worry.

Exasperated, she quickly glanced into the empty bathroom across from the study, hoping to find him to no avail.

Sighing, she turned and peered anxiously down the opposite end of the hallway. He wasn't anywhere else, so there was one last place her husband could be. Determined, she strode down the hall and stopped at the wooden door covered with enchanted snitches. With a deep breath, she mustered up all the courage she could and pushed the door open.

The room was swathed in darkness and an unnatural chill caused hairs to rise on the back of her neck. In the middle of the room a crib sat overturned, bed linens strewn over the floor, untouched from the attack. A man stood forlorn among the bedding; his shoulders hunched.

"James," Lily called softly, resting a hand upon his shoulder.

"I heard him," he sobbed, "I heard him cry…I was sleeping, and I heard him cry. I came in here…and he wasn't here, and then I remembered."

"Oh, James," she soothed taking his arm and turning him to face her.

Tears ran freely down his drawn face, "I really thought…I forgot he was… was…not here. I heard him cry, Lils."

"I hear him too sometimes." She pulled him into her arms and ran a hand through his unruly hair.

"I hate this. Why does it have to hurt so much? When's it going to stop?" He buried his face miserably in her hair.

Her eyes brimmed with tears at hearing the pain in her husband's voice. "This takes time. Albus says only time will tell. We have each other though. We'll get through this together."

"Together," he echoed.

They stood there in the dark, wrapped in each other's arms, feeding off each other's strength as time passed slowly. Downstairs, the old grandfather clock struck four; its deep baritone chimes traveling throughout the house.

"Come," Lily said quietly, "we're already late."

James nodded and followed his wife down the stairs and eventually into the bright green flames of their fireplace.

They were the last to arrive in Dumbledore's office as Sirius and Remus were already situated in front of his desk. Sirius tiredly slumped in his chair; dark circles ringed his eyes. Remus didn't look any better, with his haggard appearance, and exhaustion underlying his facial expressions. James and Lily took the two empty seats next to Sirius and then directed their attention to Dumbledore.

"Tell me," Dumbledore began, "what do you know of alternate universes."

Lily frowned at the question. "It's theorized that there are parallel universes existing alongside our own."

"In theory," Remus added, "as it's almost impossible to prove that they exist."

"What does this have to do with anything, Albus?" Sirius asked moodily.

Dumbledore ignored Sirius' rudeness and addressed the young adults before him.

"The other day I had two visitors. They requested a meeting with me, saying they had something important to discuss," he folded his hands and placed them on his desk, "They inquired about a certain spell they had used. _Capio ego ut locus quatenus lucidus novus initium_."

Lily shook her head. "I've never heard of it."

"Of course not, I have only just invented it. It's been my project for the past decade."

"If you just invented the spell," James muttered, "Then how were they able to use it? It doesn't add up, Albus."

"They were able to use it because I taught it to them…in their world," he added the last bit cautiously.

"Their world?" James uttered softly.

"Yes, in their world, time is on a different path. When they left, the year was 1997; plenty of time for me to teach it to them," Dumbledore explained.

Sirius held up his hand. "Whoa, I'm still caught up on the whole 'Their world' bit. Are you saying they're from a different universe?"

A smile spread across Dumbledore's face as Sirius and the others began to catch on. "Precisely. They used that spell to travel from their world to a different world, our world."

Mouths hung open on the four individuals sitting before Dumbledore. The information was almost too much for them to understand, much less accept.

After a moment, James spoke up, "Are you mental?"

"James!" Lily swatted him on the shoulder.

"They could have been Deatheaters," James addressed his wife.

Lily considered this for a moment before agreeing. "Are you mental, Albus?"

Dumbledore chuckled softly. "In due time. However, at this moment, I am not. At first, I was suspicious of these two travelers. We've just come out of a very hard time, and Voldomort's followers are no doubt still out for revenge. However, one of the first things they asked me was that spell. How could a Deatheater know of something that, at the time, I had not even finished yet?"

"They have their ways, Albus. You know that," Lily pleaded.

He held up his hand, halting any other concerns she had. "They also provided me with certain specific information that proved they were of no harm and true to their story. You are aware that I am a Master Occlumens," he tilted his head at Lily and raised his eyebrows.

"I know Albus. I just worry about you sometimes."

"Don't fret, my dear. Having someone looking out for me has never done me wrong."

"Albus," Remus started, "what do these two people have to do with us?"

"Good question. Before I answer that, I need you to answer something for me. All of you," he demanded of the four.

Once they all nodded, he continued, "I know you have just gone through a very difficult time."

Lily's face paled and James clutched her hand. Dumbledore paused, watching them, before going on.

"I must know. Do you believe in miracles? Fate? For what I'm about to tell you, will shock you to the core. I need to know that you believe in the unpredictable nature of the universe."

Confused at the strange question, the four nodded anyways.

"Good. These two people have everything to do with you. They came from a world, very much like our own, which had been at war for a very long time against Voldomort and his followers. While the Light won the war, their world was in ruins. There was nothing left. In their world, I taught them this spell. Sirius," he glanced at the dark haired man, "I know you are good with Latin. Tell us what the spell means."

Sirius thought for a moment. "It means 'Take me to a place where there is a bright new start'"

"Exactly, they enacted this spell and it brought them here."

"They wanted to start over," Lily concluded.

Dumbledore nodded.

"Who are they? What does this have to do with us?" Remus asked.

"One is Ginny Weasley."

Lily gasped at the name, remembering reading something about a death in the Weasley family the other day.

"The other is…Harry Potter."

OOO

Stars speckled the sky visible through James and Lily's bedroom. The couple lay silently beside each other. Neither could sleep. Miracles were reserved for such a small amount of people; both felt unworthy of the miracle bestowed upon them that day.

Sighing heavily, Lily rolled over and shifted closer to James.

"James," she whispered, "are you awake."

"Yeah," he replied.

"I can't sleep. I keep thinking about Harry," she admitted.

"Me too. It almost seems too good to be true."

"Do you really think he's our son?"

"I don't think Albus would lie to us." James rolled over and stared into Lily's endless green eyes.

"I know. It's just…just…" she trailed off.

"Too hard to believe?" He offered.

"Yeah, that, and…tragic."

James searched for Lily's hand. Once her hand was found, he grasped it. "I hate thinking he grew up without us."

"Who do you think he grew up with?" Lily wondered.

"I don't know."

"He's been through a war, James." Lily sniffed and nuzzled James.

"At seventeen," he murmured in awe.

"So young."

"I remember what I was doing at seventeen," James reminisced.

"Most likely terrorizing Snape," Lily said.

"That, and being a kid. I definitely wasn't fighting a war. He's been through so much."

Lily scooted closer to James, their noses almost touching. "I wonder what he looks like."

"Well, we know he has black hair and your green eyes," James offered.

"I know that. What does he look like at seventeen? Is he tall like you? Short like me? Muscular? Gangly?"

"I guess there's only one way to find out."

Lily sighed and rested her forehead against James' "Meet him."

"Do you want to meet him?"

"Of course," Lily whispered, "I want to be a part of his life. Don't you?"

James nodded in the darkness, "I do. Along with Sirius and Remus. They should be a part of his life."

Lily yawned and snuggled closer to James. "We have our son back."

James returned Lily's affection. "We do, thought he's quite a bit older, Love."

"I don't care, do you?"

"Not at all."

OOO

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading. Drop a review if you want. This week, I've decided to do reviewer responses:

**Padfoot's love – **Thank you for your review. I think with each chapter, this fanfic will indeed get better. Especially with all that I have planned.

**Frog1 – **I'm glad you think this is really good. Thanks for your review.

**SwiftShadow – **Here's an update, just as you wished! Thanks for the review.

**ragdoll1928 – **I agree. It is really hard to find an AU story that's well written. That's part of the reason I'm writing this. A Disguised Blessing, in my eyes, is the perfect AU Harry meets his parents fanfic. I'm glad you like it and thanks for the review.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Harry sat perched upon the window ledge of his room at The Three Broomsticks. Night had fallen, and he could not sleep. Visions and memories of those he lost plagued his thoughts and dreams. He would rather stare off into the starry sky than be reminded of the horrors of his short life.

It had been more than a week since he defeated Voldomort and traveled to this world with Ginny. The nightmares and haunting memories from the war never ceased to torment his mind, and he was beginning to wonder if they ever would.

Exhausted, he rested his head against the windowpane and glanced at the letter Dumbledore had sent him that afternoon. His parents knew of his existence; Dumbledore had told them the other day. They wanted to meet him and had invited Ginny and him to dinner the following day.

A muffled noise caught his attention, and he turned his weary gaze to the bed where Ginny slept.

"Mum!" She cried, thrashing back and forth.

Sighing, Harry padded across the hardwood floor and climbed into the bed.

"Gin, wake up." He shook her shoulder. "You're having a nightmare."

"No…no," she gasped and opened her eyes.

"You're ok," Harry whispered as he lay down next to her.

Sweat and tears created a sickly sheen that covered her face. Sobs escaped her shaking body as she struggled to gain control. The normally strong exterior that she exhibits, crumbled as she remembers the chilling memories brought to life through her dreams.

"She was alive, Harry. She wanted to tell me something," she whispered, looking into Harry's eyes. "I couldn't hear her, so I grabbed her arm."

More tears poured down her cheeks as she struggled to get the rest out.

"There was so much blood," horror laced her voice. "It was everywhere. Then she fell and we were back in Hogmeade. She was dead again."

"Shh," Harry smoothed down the hair plastered to Ginny's forehead. "It was just a dream, Gin."

"I want my mum," she pleaded, sounding like a small child.

"I know. Your mum is in this world, Gin. You can have her."

"No," she demanded, "I want _my _mum; the mum I grew up with."

Harry reached out and pulled Ginny close to him. In return, she wrapped her arms around his body, resting her head on his chest.

"I just want my mum," she whispered wearily, "That's all I want."

"I know," Harry replied as Ginny began to fall asleep in his arms.

The night wore on, and Harry held Ginny as she battled her own demons in her sleep. Fatigue edged around his mind, but he fought it off in hopes of not having to deal with demons of his own.

OOO

The morning dawned cool and clear. Harry had watched the weak sunlight enter his room and gradually grow stronger as the hours passed. Ginny had awoken late in the morning and chose to spend the morning and early afternoon curled up in bed. Harry, anxious about the upcoming dinner with his parents, spent his time pacing the room and walking around Hogsmeade.

Eventually, early evening arrived, and Harry and Ginny nervously awaited Dumbledore's arrival before being escorted to the Potter's.

"Harry," Ginny said sternly, "You need to stop pacing."

"I can't help it." He nervously toyed with the cuffs of his robes. "I'm nervous."

"What about?" She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows at Harry.

He stopped pacing. "This is the first time I'm meeting my parents, Gin. I'm nervous. What if I do something wrong? What if I say something entirely stupid? What if they don't like me?" The words tumbled out of his mouth one right after the other.

"They're your parents, Harry. They're going to love you no matter what."

"But what if they don't?" Harry flopped down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

"They will," she insisted as a wry grin spread over her face, "Now, if you don't stop this irrational strain of thought, I'm going to have to hex you."

The tension and anxiety eased out of Harry, and he raised his eyebrow at Ginny. "Ohh, you're gonna hex me?"

"Don't try me, Potter," she threatened, drawing her wand and pointing it at Harry.

Hands up in mock surrender, he grinned at Ginny. "Ok, ok"

Satisfied, she reholstered her wand and offered Harry a hand. He took it and pulled himself up. Just then, the small fireplace flared up, and Dumbledore gracefully entered the room.

"Evening, Professor," Harry said.

Dumbledore returned the pleasantry with a nod of his head. "Evening, are we ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be."

"Yes, Sir," Ginny replied, adjusting her robes.

"Splendid," Dumbledore said before leaping again into the green flames. He shouted, "Godric's Hollow," and disappeared.

Harry and Ginny followed suit moments later.

OOO

Lily hurried around the hot kitchen getting dinner ready. Grabbing a pair of oven mitts, she grabbed the cooked roast from the oven and plunked it down on the counter. Once the roast was clear of the oven, she took the pan of crescent rolls and shoved them in the oven, setting the timer for ten minutes.

"Mmm, smells good," James said, walking into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around Lily from behind.

"Thank you," she said, setting a stack of plates into James' empty hands, "Set the table, Love."

James complied as Lily continued to scurry around the kitchen.

"Where's Sirius and Remus?" Lily asked, enchanting a pot of mashed potatoes to stir themselves.

"They flooed over to Sirius' flat. He forgot something," James said, placing forks and knives at each place setting.

"What did he forget?"

"He didn't say." James grabbed several glasses sitting on the counter and set them on the table.

Once the table was set for dinner, James paused for a moment and watched his wife dart around the kitchen. With a smile, he stepped forward and rested a hand on her arm.

"I can handle the rest, you go finish getting ready."

"Are you sure?" Small wisps of red hair had escaped the bun atop her head.

"Positive," he reassured, "I'm a Marauder. I can handle anything," he added pompously.

Lily reluctantly left the kitchen, the door swinging shut. James, unwilling to admit to his wife that he had doubts regarding his kitchen skills, warily looked at the food in various stages of being cooked. The roast was still cooling on the counter, the timer on the stove remained ticking, and the pot of mashed potatoes steamed on the stovetop, still being stirred by an charmed spoon. Everything seemed under control. Then a chime sounded through the house, announcing visitors via the Floo.

"That'll be Sirius and Remus," James muttered to himself, "Merlin knows Remus is loads better in the kitchen."

James stepped into the living room as Lily descended the stairs. Three figures tumbled out of the fireplace, one right after the other. The last to arrive, however, proved to be greatly lacking the grace that the previous two had exhibited.

"You'd think, after being in the Wizarding World for seven years, you would have the hang of this," a red haired young woman smirked and offered a hand to the young man sprawled on the stone hearth.

He accepted her help and hauled himself up, brushing any remaining soot from his robes. It was then, that he realized that he had an audience. Redness crept up his face.

"Er," he sheepishly scratched the back of his head, "Sorry."

For a moment, silence echoed through the room before being broken my Lily.

"Harry?" She whispered.

Tears threatened to spill from his eyes at the sight of his parents. He had his parents in his life. This is what he had always wanted, what he had always hoped for. The idea was so monumental he couldn't even begin to comprehend what that would truly mean in the end.

Blinking back his tears, he smiled, gazing at his mother and father.

Lily crossed the room and took Harry's face in her hands. "You're really my Harry?"

He nodded as she enveloped him in a hug. James followed and wrapped his arms around the both of them.

"You're real," James said, "You're really real."

Harry nodded again as he let the tears run down his face. He had what he always wanted in life, someone who would love him. Suddenly, all the death he had seen, the suffering he had endured, and the war he had just fought did not matter. As long as he had his mum and dad, he knew things would turn out okay. The three remained locked in each other's embrace for a few moments before a peculiar odor drifted into the living room.

Dumbledore sniffed the air. "I do believe I smell something burning."

James jerked his head up, alarm crossing his face. "The food!"

Lily rushed into the kitchen, adamant on saving dinner as the rest followed her.

Black smoke billowed thickly from the oven as the smoke detector affixed to the ceiling began to wail. Chaos erupted into the kitchen as James tried to get the smoke detector to stop its shrill warning, Lily tried to get the blackened rolls out of the oven, and Harry and Ginny tried to clear the smoke from the kitchen.

However, Dumbledore merely smiled with amusement, waved his wand and the smoke cleared, the smoke detector quit its shrieking, and the rolls were banished into oblivion.

"Sorry we're late," Remus panted, bursting into the kitchen, quickly followed by Sirius.

Everybody whipped his or her head around at the newcomers.

"Did we miss something?" Sirius asked and then took the chance to get a good look at the people standing in the kitchen.

Seeing Harry, Sirius' normally jovial eyes brimmed with tears. "Harry?"

Harry smiled at the sight of his Godfather alive and well. The two hugged and then were joined by Moony. More crying and hugging ensued for a few moments, along with mentions of Harry being real and not a figment of one's imagination. After the second set of tearful meetings was finished, everybody set their attention on dinner, which was ready to be served.

"You must be Ginny Weasley," Lily said to Ginny, who was dishing out the mashed potatoes into a large serving dish.

Ginny looked up. "Yes, ma'am, I am."

"Please, call me Lily," she said smiling.

Ginny nodded her understanding and set the dish on the table before taking a seat next to Harry.

"You must be very close to Harry," James said to Ginny.

Ginny met Harry's eye. "We are. Especially towards the end of the war in our world."

Harry read the hidden message in her words and sadly smiled. Towards the end of the war, they were indeed very close, for one of the only things they had left were each other. The remaining people sitting around the dinner table sensed the sadness passed between the two, and an awkward silence drifted over the room.

Sirius, uncomfortable with the silence, spoke up, "I know in your world your parents died when you were young, so you didn't know them. What about me and Moony…er Remus."

"We know about your nicknames," Harry reassured before explaining, "I met both of you in my third year. Moony, you were the new DADA professor, and Padfoot," he paused trying to find the right words, "you were kind of in hiding for most of the year. At the end of the year, you managed to come out of hiding for a bit, and that's when I met you. In my world you were my Godfather. Is it the same in this world?" Harry asked, hoping the question would distract Sirius from further questioning surrounding his hiding.

Sirius nodded. "I am."

Harry nodded and stirred his mashed potatoes absentmindedly for a minute.

"Do I have a Godmother?" He asked curiously.

"When you were born," Lily spoke up, "we hadn't decided on someone to be your Godmother. We spent so much time arguing about it," she laughed and glanced at James who smiled in return. "But then, the prophecy happened, Voldomort found out, and we had to go into hiding. We surely couldn't bring another person into your life when we had death threats hanging over our heads. And then, Halloween happened," she finished sadly.

Harry nodded, fidgeting slightly at the mention of the death of this world's Harry.

"Would you like a Godmother?" Lily asked.

He considered the question for a few moments before answering. "I think I would, if that's ok."

Lily grinned. "We can certainly look into it, my dear."

Dinner soon finished and everybody was ushered to the living room for tea and dessert as Lily remained behind in the kitchen for a few minutes as she enchanted the dishes to wash themselves.

James dug into his piece of cake and watched his son. Ginny sat next to Harry, and every so often she would brush up against his son. Harry in return would glance at her, smiling slightly, almost as if he were saying that he was still there and everything was okay. James didn't know his son very well yet, or his son's friend, Ginny, but James could tell that there was a bond between the two.

Soon, Lily joined everybody in the living room and included herself in on the conversation about Harry and Ginny's lives prior to traveling to their world. By the time nine o'clock rolled around, Dumbledore excused himself and returned to Hogwarts, claiming he had important matters to attend to. A half hour later, Sirius and Remus too left the Potter's house, leaving Harry and Ginny alone with Lily and James.

"You two are staying in Hogsmeade at The Three Broomsticks, right?" James asked, helping his wife bring the dirty dessert dishes into the kitchen.

"We are," Harry answered, placing a handful of forks in the sink.

"Well, we were thinking," he started, glancing nervously at Lily, "that if you want, you could stay here. Both of you."

James and Lily peered anxiously at the two young adults in their kitchen who appeared to be communicating through facial expressions. After a moment, Harry looked at his parents.

"We'd like that."

Lily voiced her joy at their answer and guided them back through the living room and down a hallway that lead to a guest suite, complete with a bathroom. After another series of hugs and expressed joy that Harry was there with them, James and Lily headed upstairs to ready themselves for bed and to gather their thoughts. Harry and Ginny did the same, and not before long, the Potter household was dark and quite as night fell over Godric's Hollow.

OOO

Chilled November air drifted in through the slightly ajar window in Petunia Dursley's bedroom creating an icy layer of air atop the fluffy bedspread. Her husband's massive body lay next to her, immersed in a deep sleep. Loud and hearty snores filled the room with each breath he took.

Unable to sleep, she sighed and rolled over away from her husband. Dark gray and midnight blue shapes she could barely make out apart from the darkness of her bedroom sat upon the nightstand. Among the unrecognizable shapes was a faintly pale object tucked between what she knew to be a lamp and an alarm clock.

She stared at the object sadly and then reached over, picking it up. The rough texture of the parchment crinkled in her hand. It was a letter her sister had sent a few days ago, the first in three years.

Cautious joy had flooded Petunia when she had seen the letter lying on the kitchen table the other morning when she had gone downstairs. However, that joy had quickly turned to despair to learn that her nephew had been killed. That despair had quickly increased at the terse voice her sister had used in the letter.

Petunia knew she had made many mistakes over the years; mistakes she wished she could erase. Contrary to her actions the past several years, she loved her sister and only hoped that she had it in her heart to forgive her one day. When that day came, Petunia didn't know when, but she knew her life would be right again. Until that day, however, she would just have to deal with the consequences of her actions.

From the next room, loud wails began to sound as her son woke up. Vernon snorted in his sleep at Dudley's cries before turning over, resuming his cacophony of noise. Petunia slowly sat up, gave a fleeting glance to her husband, before hurrying out of the room to tend to her son.

OOO

**Author's Note: **Thank you for reading; I hope you liked this chapter. One reviewer asked how long this fic would be. I don't have a set number to chapters but I know that it's going to cover the years until they defeat Voldomort again and maybe a few years past that. I have many plans for this fic. I had a lot of trouble with getting this chapter to come out the way I wanted it to. It took a lot of rewriting and moments agonizing over the fact that I just couldn't get it right. Finally, I think I have it as best as I could get it. It's not exactly how I want it, I think it sounds too forced…but I'm the writer and I tend to be very critical of my writing. However, I did like the end…with Petunia…it gives you a bit of foreshadowing. Anyways…I'd like to thank my reviewers…Thank You! Sorry, now individual responses…I'm feeling lazy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

A dozen fat links of sausage popped and sizzled in the frying pan while Harry diligently tended to a pan of scrambled eggs. A large plate of toast gradually grew in height as Harry put the stack of bread through the toaster turning them into golden brown pieces of toast. The sky outside was clouded over, yet early morning light weakly streamed into the kitchen.

Harry had spent the night alternately pacing his room, checking on Ginny, and staring sadly out the window and into the night. His nightmares had grown worse, and his sleep suffered. It was a growing problem that he struggled to hide from his parents and Ginny.

"It's your second day here, and one would think you were our new house elf," an amused voice chuckled from the doorway.

Harry craned his neck around as his father walked into the kitchen. Black Auror robes swished about the floor as James came to stand next to Harry.

"I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd get a start on breakfast. You don't mind, do you?" Harry asked, stirring the pan of eggs.

James plucked a cooked sausage from the pan and popped it in his mouth. "Not at all. Lily's enjoyed the break. Where'd you learn to cook?" He asked, licking his fingers.

Harry faltered at the question; he hadn't yet revealed his childhood with the Dursley's.

"Another one of those questions you won't answer?" James guessed, his tone soft.

Harry scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah…," he trailed off.

"It's ok, Harry, you don't have to talk about it yet if you don't want to. But when you're ready, Lily and I will always be here," James reassured, resting his hand on his son's back. He knew his son has had a difficult life; how difficult, though, still remained a mystery.

"Ok."

Harry finished stirring the eggs before dishing them out in a large bowl and charming them to stay warm. The sausage and toast was already cooked and sitting on the table steaming. Grabbing a plate, he sat down next to his father and began eating.

"You're going back to work today, right?" He asked.

James nodded, chewing a piece of sausage slowly. "Yep."

"Are you glad to go back?"

"Yes and no," James said, looking at Harry, "I love spending so much time at home with Lily and now you. But, I know how much they need me. I can imagine there are a lot of His followers still out there."

"What's it like?"

"Being an Auror?"

"Yeah, I was considering becoming an Auror after I was finished with school."

James considered the statement for a second. "Well, I'm not going to glorify it for you. It's a difficult job and can be very gruesome at times. You're working with very dangerous wizards and witches. And death, you have to face and deal with a lot of death."

Harry nodded before James continued.

"You also need to have a strong grasp of what is wrong and what is right. Not just legally right and wrong, but morally. What is legal is not always right, and what is illegal is not always wrong. You have to use your best judgment. But while being an Auror is difficult and trying, it is also fulfilling. I'm making the Wizarding World safer. I'm making a difference, helping people."

Again Harry nodded. "What did you need to do to become an Auror?"

"Well, you need NEWTS in all your core Hogwarts courses, Potions, Charms, Defense, and the like. You also need to train as an Auror for two years with the Ministry. Why? You gonna follow in your old man's footsteps?"

Harry chuckled. "I'd like to be an Auror. As I said, it's what I was planning on doing, but that'll be rather difficult now."

"Why?"

"Well, first, I didn't finish out my seventh year at Hogwarts because of the war. And, second, in this world I'm dead."

James rubbed his chin. "Hmm, that would be rather difficult. Well, we'll have to look into it, talk to Albus and such. Either way, we'll have to continue this conversation later. I need to get to work."

Harry stood and began clearing the used breakfast dishes as Lily made her appearance through the kitchen door dressed in a pink terrycloth robe.

"Good morning, dear." She kissed Harry on his forehead before going over to James and doing the same.

"I'll be home at the usual time," James said, kissing Lily, before he stepped outside, where little spits of rain were beginning to come down, and apparated away.

OOO

Things had begun to look up for Sirius. He still missed and mourned the little boy who had died, but now there was something else to occupy his time with. Sirius didn't fully comprehend how an older version of his Godson could now exist, but he wasn't going to take the opportunity to get to know the young man for granted. Perhaps it was a miracle, or simply fate stepping in, but Sirius didn't care.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and cold November rain plinked at the windows as Sirius sunk down on the couch, picking up, _Worlds You Don't Live In: An Amateur's Guide to Alternate Universes._ Opening to his marked page, he began reading in an effort to understand his Godson's existence.

He had gotten to the end of his current chapter when there was a quiet knock at his door. Setting the book facedown on the coffee table, Sirius went to open the door.

"Hi," said Rosemary, the American Muggle he had met the other day.

"Hey, Rosemary," Sirius said, making sure she didn't get a full view into his apartment, which was littered with wizarding items.

A rosy blush crept up her face. "There's this café down the street that I've been to a couple times. This band is playing there Saturday night, and I was wondering if you would like to go with me."

Rosemary looked expectantly up at Sirius, who stared gapingly at the short young woman standing on the other side of the door. Sirius eased himself into the hallway and closed the door.

"What time?" He asked.

Joy flickered through her brown eyes. "Seven o'clock."

Sirius nodded. "Sounds like a plan," he said, a bit of his usual suaveness peeking though.

They made plans of where to meet before returning to their separate apartments. Sirius closed the door and let out a breath he had been holding. What did he just get himself into? Rosemary is a muggle woman; he is a wizard.

Shaking his head, he returned to reading his book.

OOO

Gray and icy rain showered down on Remus as he hurried down the street on his way back to his apartment. He cursed the crowds of Muggles, all sporting varying colors of umbrellas, that filled the sidewalk, preventing him from apparating back home.

As he hurried down the street in the wake of Muggles, a store on his left caught his eye.

**Agnition Books**

London's Depository of Old and Used Books

There was something oddly familiar, yet strange about this store. Compelled, Remus pushed through the door and out of the pouring rain.

The store was dim and musty, reminding Remus of the library at Hogwarts. Stacks upon stacks of books lined the walls and threatened to tip over at the slightest nudge. Old and faded rugs dotted the floor, worn thin from decades of foot traffic. Remus scanned the titles of some books and found himself oddly perplexed.

_An Introductory Guide to Pagan Rituals_

_Where No One Ever Treads: Uncharted Areas of the World_

_Connecting the Body, Spirit, and Universe_

_Ancient Mythology and Today: How They Correlate _

Remus ran his finger along the spines and wondered what kind of Muggles would study such subjects. He has absolutely nothing against Muggles, but he never thought them to be interested in subjects that were so closely related to magic.

"Is there anything I can help you find?" A young woman's voice asked from behind Remus.

Startled, he spun on his feet and faced the witch standing next to him. The tall and slender woman, whose long wavy blond hair framed her face, was indeed a witch. Remus felt the characteristic _hum_ of magic encompassing her.

"Oh, I was just walking by and felt compelled to come in," he replied, wondering what a witch was doing working in a Muggle store.

"I find that happens to a lot of people." The young woman clasped her hands behind her back and regarded Remus for a second. "We have a small section in the back for witches and wizards," she whispered.

"Oh, I'm more interested in these," he said indicating the stacks of books surrounding him, "I never knew Muggles were interested in topics so closely related to magic."

"Most aren't, but there are the select few who are. I've always found them the most open to new ideas."

The door at the front of the shop opened, letting in a gale of freezing wind and rain. A middle-aged man and woman walked immediately to a small section of books in the far corner. The young woman, previously speaking to Remus, excused herself to go assist the new customers as Remus continued to peruse the books stacked along the wall. Several moments later, the couple left the store, and the young woman returned to where Remus was standing.

"Anything catch your eye?" She asked.

Remus smiled longingly. "Many. However, I haven't got the money right now."

"I'll take wizarding money."

Embarrassment began to edge up his face as he was forced to admit his growing predicament. "It's not that either. I just don't have the money."

The young woman nodded with understanding. "We're hiring, if you're looking for a job."

Shame overcame him at admitting he was unemployed to the woman, yet the offer of a job was too tempting.

"I'm interested. Could I fill out an application?" He asked.

The woman walked to the back of the store, reached behind a counter, and returned with a thin paper packet that she handed to Remus.

"Just fill this out and return it when you're finished."

"Thank you, I will."

The young woman smiled. "Have a good day, Sir."

"You too."

Remus left the bookstore and continued his journey home, a slight bounce in his step.

OOO

Evening swept down on Godric's Hollow, and the rainstorm that had begun that morning increased in intensity. Thunder and lightening rocketed through the streets, and sheets of rain pounded at the windows. Inside, however, was warm and snug as Lily lit the fireplace with an _Incendio_ from her wand. James was due back within the hour, and she wanted the house warm, and dinner well on its way to being prepared.

"Hi, Lily," a quiet voice said.

Lily turned around and smiled at Ginny. She was still in her nightclothes, and her normally silky hair was dull and slightly tangled.

"It's good to see you out of bed, dear."

A slight blush crept up Ginny's face. "I wasn't feeling very well."

"I understand," Lily replied, entering the kitchen, "Would you like to help me make dinner?"

"Sure." Ginny followed Lily into the kitchen to do something she so often used to do with her own mother.

"Where's Harry?" Lily asked, placing several carrots in front of Ginny to be peeled and chopped.

"He's trying to take a nap. I don't think he slept much last night." Ginny kept her gaze rooted on the vegetables she was chopping.

Lily, in turn, sighed. "I don't want to push him into telling James and me anything, but…," she trailed off, rooting around in the cabinet next to the stove.

"You're worried," Ginny finished. She too was worried about Harry.

Lily, placing a large pot of water on the stove, charming it to boil, nodded. "I am." Then she looked at Ginny. "I'm worried about you too."

The redness returned to Ginny's face. "I'm fine, Lily."

Lily put down the box of pasta she was about to dump into the rapidly boiling water. "I know you have some very painful memories that you are trying to deal with. You don't have to do it alone, Ginny. James and I are here for you just like we're here for Harry. Anything you need, dear, just ask."

Ginny's bottom lip quivered slightly at Lily's words. In truth, she hadn't been dealing with everything very well. She needed to talk to someone, a way to get everything out. Yet, what she really needed, however, was her mother. The one person Ginny had missed the most was her mother, and she knew there was only one way she could have her mother back. Building up the courage, Ginny looked up at Lily.

"Lily…could I…see my family?" Shiny tracks of tears ran down her face.

A few tears dripped off the end of Ginny's nose before Lily wrapped her arms around the girl. "Of course, of course."

OOO

Saturday night people gradually crowded into the small café as Sirius sat at one of the tables waiting for Rosemary. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mixed with various types of tea paired with the dim lights created a homey and cozy atmosphere perfect for a cafe. Waitresses, laden down with trays, weaved in and out of the crowd of people congregating around the stage set up in the corner.

"Sir, can I get you something?" One of the waitresses asked of Sirius.

"I'm waiting for somebody, maybe later."

She nodded before disappearing into the sea of excited people. Several people dressed in black scurried around on stage setting up instruments and checking the microphones. Sirius watched, transfixed by their movements.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. I got held up at work."

He tore his eyes away from the stage and grinned at Rosemary as she removed her navy blue pea coat revealing an aquamarine tank top layered with a brown tank top. Earthen beads were strung around her neck and a flowy skirt completed the outfit.

"Don't worry about it," Sirius said before waving over the waitress to take their order.

Once the waitress left to fill their order, Rosemary turned her attention to Sirius. "So, what do you do for a living?"

"I work in law enforcement." It wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't a lie either.

"My brother back home is a State Sheriff."

"State Sheriff?" Sirius asked confused.

Rosemary looked at Sirius oddly. "It's like a policeman for an entire state."

"Oh, right. We have different terminology here in Britain," he quickly replied, hoping 'State Sheriff' wasn't a term commonly known among Muggles. However, he felt relieved when Rosemary continued on.

"So, what kind of law enforcement are you involved in?"

"Um," Sirius struggled to find the right words, "I work mainly with high profile cases that require cover from the public."

"Ah, the kind where if you told me you'd have to kill me?" She asked with a touch of humor.

Sirius grinned cheekily. "In a way." _Or Obliviate you, _he thought to himself.

The waitress then arrived with their drinks, tea for Sirius and a strong black coffee for Rosemary.

"What kind of work do you do?" Sirius asked after adjusting the flavor of his tea with milk and honey.

"I'm a yoga instructor. I'm working on setting up my own studio here in London."

Sirius cocked his head to the side. "What's a yoga instructor?"

"I teach yoga. Yoga is an ancient series of exercises and poses that help to increase strength and flexibility. It can also be used as a form of holistic healing," Rosemary explained.

"It can be used for healing?" Sirius' eyebrows rose at the thought, images of victims of vicious curses twisting and stretching as wounds closed and lasting curse effects vanished.

"Yep, usually for muscle and joint pain. But most people use it as a form of exercise and as a way to become more in tune with their body."

"Could you show me sometime?" Sirius asked, genuinely curious.

"Yoga?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, it sounds really interesting."

"Sure! Just let me know when," Rosemary exclaimed eagerly.

Sirius grinned at the lights in the café dimmed, and four guys walked out on stage.

"Evenin' London. We're Tragedy of a Decoy," A tall wiry young man announced into the microphone. His bandmates all yelled similar shout-outs to the pulsing crowd below.

The tightly packed group of people near the stage cheered and pumped their fists happily as the band began the opening chords to _War Torn World._

Sirius nodded his head along with the face-paced song. He'd never heard music like this before. Halfway through the band's set, Sirius, on impulse, grabbed Rosemary's hand and pulled her over to the mosh pit forming in front of the stage, making sure to keep out of the more violent areas. Together, Sirius and Rosemary, hands entwined, enjoyed the rest of Tragedy of a Decoy's set before walking back to their apartment building.

"I've never heard music like that before," Sirius said, gesturing excitedly with his hands.

Rosemary glowed. "Welcome to the world of punk rock."

"Punk rock?"

"Yep, that's what the style of music that Tragedy of a Decoy plays. You liked it?"

"Great Merlin, I loved it!"

Rosemary quirked an eyebrow at Sirius' expression. "You are an odd, odd man, Sirius Black, but that's what makes you so interesting."

Sirius blushed. "Glad to be of interest."

All too soon, the pair arrived back at their apartment building and parted ways with promises of seeing each other again.

OOO

**Author's Note: **I think this chapter went MUCH better than last chapter. I have so much planned for Rosemary and Sirius, it makes me excited. The band Tragedy of a Decoy and their song _War Torn World_ belongs to yours truly. Expect them to make some random appearances throughout the fic. Lyrics to their songs may appear in later chapters. Who knows…

Thanks to all who have read and reviewed ADB, it is greatly appreciated.

-Sunne


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

The last week in November brought the first significant snowfall of the season. A pristine blanket of snow covered the grounds of Hogwarts, which was currently being trampled through by dozens of excited students.

An amused chuckle spilled from Dumbledore as he surveyed the carefree and exuberant antics of the students below. Ancient days of his own childhood fluttered before his eyes causing another chuckle to escape his mouth.

Rousing from his reminiscing, Dumbledore turned and sat down at his desk, a more serious and important matter occupied his thoughts.

Wrinkled hands picked up a letter he had received that morning, reviewing the message within. When finished, he placed the letter back on the desk and rested his chin on his fingertips, contemplating the next move.

Then, with a flair of activity, Dumbledore rummaged around on his desk for a blank sheet of parchment and his favorite quill. A quick note was written, sealed with his personal stamp and given to Fawkes, who disappeared with a flash.

Dumbledore returned to the window and his musings of childhood. His eye caught a smattering of red hair and smiled.

OOO

The end of November meant that the Christmas Season in London was in full swing. Store windows glowed with strands of lights, Christmas carolers softly serenaded the shoppers, and the freshly fallen snow transformed the streets of London into a magical place.

Vernon Dursley proudly marched down the sidewalk, his beefy son held in his arms. The child clutched a half-eaten candy cane in one hand, popping it into his mouth at frequent intervals. Petunia diligently followed alongside the two, carting along a stroller weighed down with shopping bags.

Shoppers swarmed on either side of the small family. As they reached a small snow-covered park situated on a street corner, the child began squealing and reaching out to the gathering of children convened in the park. Vernon eyed the group of children, glanced at his son's antics and nodded his head decisively.

"Outta the way. My Dudders has to get through," he bellowed, forcing himself and Dudley through the group of children.

Several children wailed indignantly at being abruptly shoved out of the way by Vernon. "Oh quit your fussing. You've all had your turn."

Vernon finally cleared a path, and Dudley babbled excitedly at the puppet show putting on a Christmas spectacle that had caught the attention of the young children. Behind him, Petunia muttered apologies to the aggrieved parents and children Vernon had rudely pushed out of the way.

Dirty looks followed the apologies and Petunia politely averted her eyes, however, not before she caught a head of red hair in the crowd. Her head whipped around, hopeful, but her heart sank as she met brown eyes instead of the green she had hoped for. Returning her gaze to her husband and son, she watched as Dudley clapped happily along with the other children, who had completely forgotten about being shoved out of the way moments earlier.

With a soft sigh, Petunia realized it was times like these that she missed her sister the most.

OOO

Sirius stood in the middle of the Potter's living room, hands posed on his hips, grinning. James stood balancing before him, one foot rooted to the ground, and the other bent, his foot resting on the side of his knee.

"No, no no," he said to James, "you're not standing right."

"What do you mean I'm not standing right! I wasn't aware there was a right and wrong way to stand!" Frustrated, James gestured wildly with his hands nearly putting him off balance.

"Sure there is," Sirius chirped, "Now straighten your back and don't hunch over like that."

James glared at his friend as he tried to straighten up. However, he arched his back too far, throwing off his center of gravity and came crashing to the floor.

"This yoyo stuff is harder than you made it out to be."

"It's called yoga, James."

"Right…and you're telling me she does this for a living?" James asked, hauling himself up off the floor.

"Yep, I sat in on one of her classes yesterday."

"The woman's barmy if you ask me."

"Hey!" Sirius exclaimed, "That's my girlfriend you're talking about!"

James raised one eyebrow. "I was unaware your relationship was at the girlfriend stage."

A grin spread across Sirius' face. "Yep, I asked her last night. She had me over for dinner."

"You should invite her over here so she could meet everybody. What did you say her name was again?"

Sirius' face reddened. "Her name's Rosemary, and I'm…uh…she can't come here," he said quietly, staring at the yoga mat he was previously rolling up.

"Why not. I want to meet her, and I'm sure Lily will and Harry and Gin-"

"Shecan'tcomebecauseshe'samuggle," Sirius mumbled quickly.

"What?" James asked, not quite sure what he heard Sirius say.

"She can't come because she's a muggle," Sirius repeated.

James stared blankly at Sirius.

"I really like her, Prongs, but I don't know what to do!" Sirius stared back at James, eyes wide.

Shifting his gaze, James thought for a moment. "Padfoot, I'm going to be frank with you. You can't base a relationship off of lies."

"What do you mean by that?" Sirius asked, angrily advancing on his friend, "This isn't a lie! I'm serious."

Trying to lift Sirius' rapidly deteriorating mood, James grinned cheekily. "Of course you're Sirius."

"Then what did…" he trailed off, realizing the meaning behind James' words, "That's not funny, Prongs."

"I know, I know, we out grew that years ago. I was only trying to cheer you up."

The anger ran out of Sirius' body. "But what did you mean by 'You can't base a relationship off of lies.' I'm not, what I feel for her isn't a lie."

"I know your feelings aren't lies, Padfoot, but what I meant was that you can't keep something this big from her."

"What? So, you think I should go tell her I'm a wizard? I don't even know her that well yet."

"I'm not saying that either. If you're serious about her, eventually, you're going to have to tell her. Relationships don't hold together if there are lies between you two. Merlin knows Lily and myself proved that point several times over."

The corner of Sirius' lip curled up into a smirk. "Heh, don't remind me. I'm the one you always came crying to."

"I did not go _crying_ to you. I went to you for advice," James said indignantly.

"If that's what you wanna call it, fine."

James silently fumed and stalked from the room.

OOO

Remus locked the door to Agnition Books and pocketed the key.

"Have a good night, Shaena," he said to the young woman with wavy blonde hair he had spoken to the first time he visited the store. She had pulled a few strings and had gotten him a job at the store. Remus was eternally grateful to the woman.

"You too, Remus. See you tomorrow!" Shaena waved, her hands encased in red knit mittens.

Hugging himself, Remus strolled down the empty London street. Winter had arrived, and with it, cold, biting winds. The nearly full moon shone brightly in the sky, and Remus gazed at it warily.

In a matter of days, he would once again become prisoner to the glowing orb in the sky. It was not something he looked forward to.

OOO

Molly Weasley waited impatiently at the hearth as she waited for her husband to come down the stairs. For the fourth time within ten minutes, she regarded her second oldest son, Charlie.

"Remember to keep a close eye on the twins. I don't want to come home and find the house in ruins," she mothered, nervous about leaving Charlie entirely in charge of her gaggle of children.

"You don't have to worry, Mum. Percy promised he'd help me," Charlie reassured his mother.

"And keep a mindful eye on Ron, he's been a bit peaky lately."

He nodded and smiled. "I will."

Arthur then came down the stairs, a perturbed Percy at his feet.

"Dad! Did you see what they did to my room? Dad! Dad? DAD!"

"Percy, your mother and I have an important meeting with the Headmaster. This is going to have to wait."

"Can't I come with?"

"Percy! You promised you'd help me with the twins," Charlie retorted angrily.

A frowned formed on Percy's face as he glared at his parents and brother.

"Fine!" He shouted forcefully before turning around and marching back up the stairs.

Molly sighed and kissed Charlie on the top of his head. "You'll be fine, dear. If there are any major problems, just firecall the Headmaster. I'm sure he won't mind."

With that said, and another round of kisses delivered, Molly and Arthur leapt into the green flames and disappeared.

OOO

It was early evening when the fireplace in the Burrow's kitchen flared to life, spitting out Molly and Arthur. At their arrival, four sets of stampeding feet came down the stairs. Before they could right themselves, the shouts and accusations began.

"The twins shoved all my quidditch figurines down the toilet and flushed it, and now the toilet's overflowing," a soaking Charlie shouted as an equally wet Ron squirmed in his arms.

"We wanted to see if it would flush the other way. Percy said it would," Fred explained, water dripping from his nose.

"I did not!" Percy yelled in his defence.

"Oh, my bad."

With a growl, Percy pushed Fred, who fell to the ground. George, wanting to defend his twin's honor, launched himself at Percy and tackled him to the ground. Not wanting to be apart from the fun, Fred merrily joined in.

Arthur deftly stepped in and plucked Fred and George up off the ground. "THAT IS ENOUGH. BOYS, UPSTAIRS…NOW!" He bellowed angrily.

All noise and action ceased as their father's seldom-heard shout rattled the windows. Then, before Arthur could yell again, the Weasley children scrambled back up the stairs, Arthur at their heels.

With her husband dealing with the children, and the mess they had no doubt created, Molly sank into the couch cushions and rubbed her head. The meeting the Headmaster had requested she had previously thought pertained to the Order. Merlin, was she ever wrong. She almost couldn't believe what the Headmaster had told her and Arthur. However, since it came from him, she couldn't believe that it would be a lie. If there was one fact in the world, it was that Albus Dumbledore did not lie, especially lies of grand proportions.

However, what were the chances of her daughter being alive? It hasn't even been a month since she lost her sweet baby girl. Could she really believe it? Accept it? Accept her? This Ginny was nearly seventeen years old and grew up in a completely different world. Could she love her? These were all questions Molly wasn't prepared to answer.

Yet, she knew, in time, they would demand an answer. Then, there would be only one question.

What would this eventually mean for her family? The world? The future?

OOO

It was night again in Godric's Hollow. Everything was still, dark and quiet. Gentle wind wound through the trees lining the street, rustling any lingering leaves, soon to fall. Sitting in the big picture window of the Potter's residence, Harry stared blankly out the window. His eyes saw nothing save for the visions of his haunted past.

Earlier that night, he had finally given into the exhausting pull of sleep and collapsed onto his bed wanting nothing more than a night of sleep free of nightmares. His wish had been granted for a few hours before the nightmares began.

Snippets of last February's full moon flashed in his head followed with a chorus of howls from the pack of werewolves Voldomort had gained control of. Then, the nightmare shifted to a mangled body they had found the next morning. The appearance of Remus' ruined body had shocked him awake.

Wanting to dispel the gruesome picture, Harry had softly ventured out of his room and curled up on the loveseat in front of the picture window. It was here that he had sat for the past three hours. He had almost succumbed in despair to the memory, when a soft voice pulled him from the pits of depression.

"Can't sleep?" his mother asked quietly, taking a seat on the other half of the loveseat.

Harry shook his head silently, keeping his eyes glued to the deserted street outside. Lily outstretched her hand, brushing a strand of black hair away from her son's face. Harry, in return, shivered at the touch he had yearned for as a child and now was just getting used to.

Sensitive to her son's pain, she sat with him, occasionally brushing a hand through his unruly hair. After a while, she decided it was the right time to speak up.

"Sometimes nightmares repeat themselves because the mind is looking for a way to deal with what happened. Talking about what happened can sometimes help," she said softly.

Harry listened to her words and screwed his eyes up, resting the side of his head on the back of the loveseat. He needed to tell someone about the war, this he knew. Yet, he feared if he put the memories into spoken words, the memories would become real again, or worse, his parents would blame him for the tragedies. However, no matter how much Harry tried in keeping the words out of his mouth, his mother's offer was too much for his self-control.

"I don't want to see their deaths anymore," he whispered, a lump forming in his throat at the admission, "It's all I see when I close my eyes."

"Oh, baby." Lily wrapped her arms around Harry and pulled him into her lap. The strength he had forced himself to show, crumbled at his mother's comfort.

"I can't make it stop," he mumbled into his mother's shoulder, now fully sobbing.

"It takes time," she said running her hand through his hair, "but your father and I are here. We'll help you. Next time you have a nightmare or can't sleep, come wake one of us up and talk to us."

"Ok," Harry murmured, wiping away tears that still ran down his face.

"Do you want to tell me about tonight's nightmare?" Lily asked after a moment of silence.

"Ok," Harry answered quietly before recalling the details of Remus' death.

Lily sat through her son's account of Remus' death, trying to put a divide between her Remus and Harry's Remus. Succeeding, she lent an understanding ear to her son as he struggled through the pain of retelling the memory.

An hour later, she remained in the same spot, Harry sleeping beside her, mulling over what he had told her. If any of his other memories were as haunting as the one she just heard, it would be a long time before her son put the war behind him, and she and James would need to be prepared.

OOO

**Author's Note: **There was a little bit of everything in this chapter. Humor, sadness, mystery, and the much-loved twins and the chaos they cause. Let me know what you thought of this chapter and this fanfic as a whole. All you reviewers: THANK YOU. And you 'lurkers': THANK YOU. One of you lovely reviewers asked if Harry and Ginny will be together…you'll just have to wait and see. However, if you read carefully, you should figure it out.

Have a good one!

-Sunne


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Moony paced the steel crate, growling at the streak of moonlight that streamed in through the window. The light wavered for a moment as a tree branch shivered in the wind, and Moony paused, watching the light dance. It taunted him, reminded him of his hunger, the smell and taste of flesh. He was hungry; it had been ages since he had real meat; not since before the stag, the dog, and the rat showed up all those years ago. A cloud moved over the sky, obscuring the moonlight, and Moony resumed his pacing.

In the next room over, the ticking of a clock gave the late hour of the night a rhythm. A mouse in the wall, its tiny feet skittering up and down the wooden beams, scurried to and fro. Off in the distance, barely detectable by Moony's keen ears, a howl resonated in the night. His ears perked sharply at this sound, listening to the slight differences in pitch that made this howl different from an ordinary wolf's howl. The lone howl sounded again in the night, and Moony bristled with werewolf instinct.

He didn't like the idea of another werewolf in his territory.

OOO

Ginny stared at her reflection in the mirror as she pulled the brush through her shiny red hair. Her hair contrasted sharply with her pale complexion, paired with her slightly gaunt features, made her appear ghostly, almost as if she'd disappear at the slightest suggestion.

She placed the hairbrush back on the dresser, paused for a moment before placing the brush into the open bag sitting on the bed. Her eyes raked over the room for any last personal items she had acquired during her stay at the Potter's. Seeing nothing else she could claim as her own, Ginny zipped up the small bag and left the room.

Lily, James and Harry were waiting for her in the living room. Lily smiled warmly at her as James took her bag. Harry attempted a smile, but she knew him well enough to know when he was hiding what he was truly feeling.

In all truth, she felt like she was betraying him, leaving like this. But what did he expect her to do? This was his parent's house; he had every right to stay here. Her parents knew she existed and owled her the other day. They wanted to meet her and had offered her a place in their family. It was an awfully generous offer considering they had never truly met, but it was an offer that Ginny jumped at.

She needed her parents. She knew that, and she knew that Harry knew that. However, she still felt the pulling weight of guilt sitting in the pit of her stomach. The love she felt for Harry never wavered as the war began back in their world. It never disappeared as the war escalated and people began dying left and right. She never stopped loving him at the end of their world and their beginning in this world. Ginny knew she would love Harry forever, but right now she needed to focus on herself.

She and Harry were broken people. They had lived through one of the most violent and deadly wars in mankind's history. Nobody could live through that and come out okay. Ginny needed time, and she knew Harry needed time. They needed to heal.

"Are we ready?" James asked as he threw a handful of floo powder into the fireplace.

Ginny looked up, extracting herself from her thoughts. Picking up her bag, she followed them into the green flames, a small smile on her face.

She was going home.

OOO

The sun had barely peeked over the horizon when Ginny was shaken from her slumber by a good-sized object landing on her stomach. Her first instincts were to draw her wand and immediately start firing spells, but then she remembered that she was at The Burrow. The chances of an attack on her home at this point in time were very slim. So, assured that the presence, now bouncing slightly, was not malicious, Ginny peeked one eye open.

"Kidich! Kidich! Kidich!" Yammered the young boy kneeling on her stomach, a bright orange Chudley Cannons pillowcase fashioned around his neck as a cape.

Groaning slightly, Ginny glanced at the clock on the wall, it was an early six-thirty, and addressed the grinning boy, "What are you doing up this early, Ron?"

"Up! Up! Kidich!" He grasped Ginny's quilt in his tiny hands and bent down to her face. "Kidich!"

"It is too early for quidditch," she said, plucking him from her quilts, transferring him to her arms.

"Kidich," he said seriously as if the single word should explain everything.

A dim light shone from downstairs when Ginny quietly crept out of her room, Ron still in her arms. Deciding to see who was up instead of putting Ron back to bed, she softly padded down the stairs.

"Morning, Mum," she greeted her mother who was currently puttering about in the kitchen.

"Morning, dear," Molly replied and then saw Ron in Ginny's arms, "Oh, did he wake you?"

"Yeah, but I don't mind."

Molly deftly extracted Ron from her arms. "I suppose it's better you than the twins. He did that the other day. Great Merlin, the three of them awake at five in the morning." She shook her head, releasing the thought, and shifted her attention back to Ginny. "Are you hungry?"

Indifferent, Ginny shrugged. "Not really."

Her mother made a dissatisfied noise as she slipped Ron into a booster seat strapped to a chair. "You are far too thin, dear. At least have some toast."

After much persuasion, Ginny caved and soon found herself faced with a large stack of toast, a dish of butter, and a jar of jam. Her mother, once seeing Ginny start eating, returned her attentions to the small boy next to her.

"Merlin, what is it with you and that ruddy pillowcase?" she exclaimed, reaching out a hand to remove the offending cloth.

Seeing the possibility that his new fashion statement was to be removed, Ron let out a sharp screech and arched his back, swatting his mother's hand away.

"Ron," she gently scolded, "pillowcases are for pillows, not little boys."

Ginny munched slowly on the piece of buttered toast and watched her mother try to convince her brother to give up the pillowcase. However, as determined as Molly was, she was no match for her son's stubbornness and soon gave up.

"Did you sleep well last night? I know…well…Lily told me yesterday that you sometimes have nightmares," Molly asked awkwardly, sipping her tea and placing a few broken up pieces of buttered toast in front of Ron.

Ginny watched Ron shove one piece of toast right after the other in his mouth before answering quietly, "I slept all right."

"No nightmares?"

"Um, one or two, but they weren't that bad," Ginny replied quietly, spreading strawberry jam on another piece of toast.

The same disapproving sound came from Molly's throat as she buttered a piece of toast for herself. "We don't know each other very well yet, but…"

She didn't have time to finish, though, before what sounded like a herd of hippogriffs came tumbling down the stairs. Fred and George came streaking into the kitchen, fought momentarily for the same chair, before settling down to eat breakfast.

"Good morning, Fred and George," Molly said, kissing each boy on the top of his head, receiving a mumbled reply in return.

The morning progressed in a similar fashion as the rest of the household woke and made their way downstairs for breakfast. Ginny sat back and watched her brothers eat, jabber among each other, and occasionally argue over this and that. They were all so young, she thought to herself. She had always been the little sister, but now she was the big sister. The idea felt strange in her mind. It may take a bit of getting used to, but Ginny figured that it just might be what she needed.

OOO

It was night again in Godric's Hollow. In a bedroom in the house at the end of the street, Harry woke with a start. His body trembled with the after effects of his nightmare. Shoving the blankets out of the way, he quietly left the dark confines of his room. The hallway was just as dark, and he slowly shuffled down the hall, shaking the entire way. Arriving at his parent's room, he paused, his hand raised ready to knock on the door, having second thoughts.

He could surely deal with the nightmare on his own, right? It wasn't like this was his first one. Why bother his parents at this hour of the night when he really didn't need them?

Decision made up, Harry turned around, heading back to his room.

However, his mother did say that if he had a nightmare, he should wake them up, no matter the hour of the night. She wouldn't tell him that if she didn't mean it.

Changing his mind again, Harry headed back to the closed door determined to go through with it.

On the other side of the door Harry could hear his father's loud snores. He sounded like he was deeply asleep. Should Harry wake them up? They may say they don't mind, but Harry knew how people worked. They rarely ever said what they truly thought.

Harry changed his mind again.

But…

Harry stopped at the staircase. He was torn between going back to bed, dealing with the nightmare on his own, and waking his parents up. Hugging himself, he stared at the stairs, debating the issue in his head.

"Harry?" A quiet whisper asked from the doorway to his parent's room.

Startled, Harry jumped and spun to meet his father's tired face. "Wha…"

"What's wrong?" James asked, coming out into the hallway clad only in a t-shirt and boxers.

Harry fidgeted nervously. "Um…"

"Nightmare?" James guessed.

Biting his lip, Harry nodded reluctantly.

"Do you wanna talk about it? I could make some hot cocoa," James offered.

With a noncommittal shrug, Harry turned towards the staircase and descended downward.

In the kitchen, James busied himself in making hot cocoa while Harry sat slumped at the kitchen table. Several pamphlets his father had brought home the other day laid scattered about the tabletop:

**Everything You Want To Know About Becoming An Auror**

And some things you didn't want to know

**10 Official Reasons To Be An Auror**

And 10 unofficial reasons

**So You Want To Be An Auror**

A young wizard's/witch's guide to lifelong decisions

Idly, Harry flipped through the pamphlets reading this or that. He was just finishing up reading, "10 Unofficial Reasons To Be An Auror," when James appeared next to him carrying two mugs of hot cocoa.

"Number seven is my favorite," James mentioned, motioning to number seven, which read, "An Auror looks totally cool in his/her Ministry issued robes."

Nodding his agreement, Harry carefully picked up his steaming mug of hot cocoa and took a sip. The chocolate slid down his throat and warmed his insides, calming him. Harry had drunk nearly half when he finally felt calm enough to talk.

"I remember my first ride on the Hogwarts Express. I had no clue what I was getting myself into; I didn't even really know what magic was," Harry halfheartedly laughed at the last statement, thinking of the irony. He had a _very_ good idea of what magic was now.

"I didn't know anybody; I was all alone. Then, Ron Weasley came into my compartment and asked if he could sit with me. That began seven years of a friendship that I'm sure will be put in the history books back in my world." He swirled the last remnants of his hot cocoa before finishing it. "Last March in my world, Voldomort managed to invade Hogwarts."

James sputtered on his hot cocoa. "He invaded Hogwarts? That's not possible!"

Grimly, Harry looked at his father. "When nearly half the school is either on Voldomort's side or apathetic, it is very possible. Plus, what was holding him back? It wasn't like Professor Dumbledore was there anymore."

"He wasn't? Did he finally retire?"

"He was murdered. Betrayed," Harry said.

"Oh Merlin, I never thought it possible," James whispered, shocked that the idea of the impenetrable fortress of his old school falling was entirely plausible under certain conditions.

"Neither did I, until that night. Ron and I always had each other's backs. I knew I could trust him with my life."

James nodded in understanding, having very similar feelings for Sirius and Remus.

"We fought like we've never fought before. Him and me, Hermione and the DA really put up a fight."

"What's the DA?" James asked, though not wanting to interrupt.

"Dumbledore's Army. It's a club I started in my fifth year," Harry explained and then continued. "We were taking out Deatheaters and betrayers left and right…but then he came. I felt him before he showed his face. My scar, we have a link," he explained at seeing his father's confused expression, "We were just getting the situation under control when he showed up with reinforcements, two dozen more Deatheaters. We were no match; what with already being exhausted from fighting and our various injuries. They mowed us down." Harry's voice cracked slightly.

James wrapped an arm around his son. "It's alright."

"Everything happened so quickly, and before I knew it, I was being held down by two Deatheaters and watching my best friend being tortured to death. He never had a chance. I still hear his screams at night."

Tears escaped down Harry's face, and he rested his head on the table as James rested a reassuring hand on his back.

"It's alright, you'll get through this. War is a difficult thing, not only to live through, but to remember."

Harry nodded, rubbing his face. "I know."

James wrapped an arm around Harry, and the two sat in silence.

After a while, Harry looked up at his father. "I think I'm gonna go back to bed".

"Alright, I should do the same," James replied, placing the two mugs in the sink.

"Thank you for listening to me."

"Don't mention it."

OOO

Snow swirled around Sirius and Rosemary as they ran down the street, hands intertwined, and laughing. It had just begun snowing as they exited the movie theater and started their walk home. A few blocks from their apartment building, the tantalizing aroma of hot chocolate drifted towards them.

"Would you like some hot chocolate?" Sirius asked Rosemary, already digging into his coat pocket for money.

"Sure, but let me buy, since you bought my movie ticket."

"Ok."

Rosemary dug into her purse for a few pence and then handed it to the hot chocolate vendor. "I'm still getting used to British money. It's so different from American money."

"It takes some getting used to," Sirius agreed, remembering the numerous times Lily went over muggle money with him.

"What do you mean? You've grown up with this money…haven't you?" Rosemary tilted her head to the side.

"Well…yeah," Sirius slightly faltered, "but…what I meant was that I can imagine."

She raised one eyebrow and shook her head disbelievingly. "You are one strange man."

Sirius halted abruptly, turned, and bowed gracefully before Rosemary. "Sirius Black, Man of Mystery, at your service ma'am."

With a barely hidden snort, Rosemary doubled over in laughter, clutching her stomach. A few hearty snorts escaped before she began to calm down. Composed, Rosemary straightened back up and she and Remus resumed their walking, though a few random giggles and snorts escaped as they strolled down the sidewalk.

She took a sip of her hot chocolate before directing her gaze to the sky. "I love when it snows; it's like nature's magic. Like little pieces of Heaven falling to Earth."

"For us to experience?" Sirius asked, wrapping an arm around his girlfriend.

"Exactly."

Laughing, Sirius shook his head, "What I would give for five minutes in your head."

"I just might say the same for you, mister," she stated, poking Sirius in the side.

"I don't think you could handle five minutes in my head," he jested.

"Oh yeah?" Rosemary broke free from Sirius' hold and rested her hands on her hips.

"Yeah."

She gave him a calculating gaze before grabbing both of his shoulders, and standing on her tiptoes, jokingly scrutinized his eyes as if they were indeed the windows to the soul as the saying goes. "What are you hiding in there?"

An imaginary vice gripped his insides. _You can't base a relationship off of lies, _James' words rang through his head.

"Nothing," he chuckled lightly, covering up the nervousness in his voice from telling her yet again another lie.

Yet, she bought it.

OOO

**Author's Note: **Well, here's chapter seven. Some trivia regarding A Disguised Blessing:

So far, it has…

-over 20,000 words

-60 pages

-nearly 7,000 hits

-12 c2s

-35 favs

-78 alerts

Anyways, hope you liked this chapter, and the story as a whole. Drop me a review if you want. Have a good one!

-Sunne


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Bumper to bumper, cars and trucks packed the streets Friday afternoon, everybody wanting to go home, as Petunia carefully drove down the street. Bags of groceries and Christmas presents flooded the back seat. Squished between a brown grocery bag and a stripped department store bag sat Dudley's car seat with Dudley squeezed into it, his large body nearly too big for the small car seat.

"Mummy car. Mummy car. Mummy car," he babbled happily.

Petunia smiled brightly. "Yes Dudleykins, Mummy is driving the car."

It wasn't too long before they turned down Privet Drive, glad to finally be home after a long day of shopping. Vernon's car stood parked in the garage, and Petunia beamed at being able to see her husband after such a long day.

"Vernon!" She called, walking in the door with Dudley in one arm and a shopping bag in the other. "We're home. Could you help us with the groceries?"

"Of course, Pet, my dear," he replied, waddling down the hallway and out into the cold.

Once the groceries were brought in and put away, and shopping bags of Christmas presents hidden away, Petunia started on dinner.

"How was your day, Pet?" Vernon asked, coming into the kitchen and sitting down at the table, his beefy form spilling over the sides of the chair.

"Oh, busy, very busy. Did you know Dudley can string two words together now?" she asked, puttering around the kitchen, getting dinner on the stove. "He said 'Mummy car,' today while I was driving. Three times! Isn't that wonderful?"

"He's a smart boy. Where did you two go?" He inquired, dismissing the achievements of his son.

"Oh, just around London shopping and then the grocery store," she replied absentmindedly, stirring a pot of stew and placing biscuits on a pan simultaneously.

"The roads must have been busy," Vernon implied, an almost intangible accusing tone underlying his calm manner.

"They were an absolute mess, traffic jam after traffic jam," she said, wondering why the conversation was heading that way.

"I can imagine. Especially when I came home to an empty house," Vernon said quietly, staring pointedly at his wife.

Petunia stopped her stirring and turned to look at her husband. "We were only slightly late, nothing to worry about, my dear."

"When I come home to an empty house, and I don't know where my wife is, I tend to get worried," he said, his voice rose in volume, and his eyes narrowed, drilling his gaze into Petunia.

Petunia stared at him in shock. "I don't see why this is a problem, Vernon," she snapped, throwing down the wooden spoon in anger.

The spoon clattered to the floor, little droplets of stew speckled the kitchen floor, leaving behind an uncomfortable silence. Petunia glared at Vernon, daring him to utter a single word. However, the anger that had heated her face began to dissipate as the reality that she and Vernon had just had their first major argument washed over her.

Vernon calmly looked at his wife and said: "Next time you're going to be late, give me a call…and clean up the mess on the floor." He motioned harshly to the array of brown spots on the floor near Petunia's feet.

Before Petunia could get a word out, Vernon stood up from the table, the chair crashing to the floor, and strode angrily from the kitchen. In his wake, Petunia numbly kneeled down, wiping up the brown spots of stew, and tried her hardest to keep in the tears that were already trickling down her cheeks.

OOO

Laden down with shrunken packages, Lily hurried down one of the side streets of Hogsmeade. She had one last stop to make before her Christmas shopping was finished. The small bookstore sat at the end of the street, nestled between an inn and a discount cauldron shop.

"Lily Evans! No, no, it's Potter now isn't it?" The elderly storeowner corrected himself and stepped out from behind the counter.

"It is," she replied with a smile on her face; any memory of her wedding day would bring a smile to her face.

"It has been years since you've been to my store. Tell me, how has life been treating you?"

"I suppose it's been treating me like any other person, switching back and forth between happiness and sadness," Lily replied, memories of a death and a return surfacing in her mind, and then recent memories of a young man trying to deal with his past.

The smile that brightened the man's face dimmed several degrees, and he grasped Lily's hands in his own. "I heard about what happened to your son last month. I am so terribly sorry. How are you and James faring?"

The memory of the death still brought painful feelings to Lily's heart. Even though she knew that Harry remained safe at Godric's Hollow, probably reading one of the millions of books on quidditch that James had seemed to acquire over the years, a death was a death in Lily's mind.

"We're doing the best we can, but we have each other. That's a big help."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it. Now," he announced, abruptly changing the subject with a clap of his hands, "what brings you to my store? I must say, I haven't seen you in here since you were a seventh year."

"I'm looking for a book," Lily said, removing her mittens as the warmth of the store dispelled the chill that being outside created.

"Well, you'll have to be a bit more specific," he said humorously, motioning to the shelves of books all around them.

"There's a book I heard that you occasionally carry. It's called _Secrets of the Unknown_."

"Ah yes, by Druella Fozworth, correct?" he asked, already moving over to a small stack of books shoved in the corner.

"Yes."

"Alright, we do have that in stock. Now, which edition do you want? _Uncovering What You Didn't Know_, _Searching for The Untold Past_, or _Knowing What You Don't Know and Not Knowing What You Know?_"

"_Uncovering What You Didn't Know_," Lily answered, and the storeowner handed her a large red volume with silver writing on the cover. She flipped through the book quickly before nodding that this was the book she needed.

After paying for the book, she began her walk to the Floo Station, not trusting herself to apparate, as tired as she was.

Snow swirled around her feet, and she was nearing the station when an odd tingling sensation erupted in her stomach. Pausing, Lily frowned. The tingling escalated steadily, and before she knew it, she was on her knees, heaving on the side of the road.

"Miss," someone asked, resting a hand on Lily's back, "are you alright?"

Wiping her mouth, Lily straightened up and looked at the concerned woman behind her.

"Oh, yes. I must have eaten something that didn't agree with me. I'm fine," she reassured, realizing that was indeed fine, any feelings of nausea passing with her retching.

OOO

Wellworth's Department Store teamed with shoppers rushing to get the latest toy or gadget, and sales associates ringing up purchases and struggling to keep the shelves stocked. Christmas was barely a week away, and everybody in London was rushing to finish up their last minute shopping. Rosemary weaved through the crowd in search of the men's department. Bright pastels, purses, and flowing skirts gave way to deep wood trim, suits, and ties. She paused in front of a display of various colognes, handling one or two, spritzing the air with their scent and giving it a good sniff.

"Is there anything I can help you with, ma'am?" Someone asked from beside her.

Rosemary turned towards the well-groomed man standing behind her and smiled, "Actually, yes. I'm looking for something for my boyfriend, and I'm kind of coming up with a blank. I don't know what to get him."

"Well, how long have you two been together?" He asked, straightening the lapels of his sport coat.

"Almost two months."

"Alright, what kinds of things does he like?"

Rosemary paused for a moment and thought the question over. Sirius loved to read, this she knew, though he tried to hide it. However, she had no clue as to what kinds of books he read. Most men enjoyed sports, though she couldn't recall him ever mentioning football, golf, or any other sport men tended to flock to. Rosemary knew Sirius enjoyed music; numerous times she had walked past his apartment and heard loud music coming from within, though she never recognized the song or band.

The sales associate, seeing Rosemary draw up another blank, motioned to the glass case she had previously been inspecting. "I saw you were looking at the colognes earlier."

"Oh," she muttered, "yes, I was. What do you think?"

"Cologne is a perfect gift for a budding relationship. Does your boyfriend wear cologne?"

"Yes," Rosemary said, remembering quite distinctly the pleasant scent of mixed spices that seemed to follow Sirius around, "but I don't know what it's called. I've never asked."

"What does it smell like?" He asked, taking out several bottles from the glass case, placing them carefully on the counter.

"Spices, he always smells like spices."

The sales associate selected a group of bottles and slid them towards Rosemary. She picked up the first, a tall blue bottle, and sprayed the air. Giving the air a delicate sniff, she wrinkled her nose and shook her head. Picking up the next, she did the same, quickly rejecting it, as it wasn't the same scent. It wasn't until Rosemary was almost through the selection that she picked up a squat glass bottle and sprayed the now pungent air.

"It's similar," she commented, sniffing it again, "though not the same, but I think he'll like it."

"Splendid," the sales associate replied, retrieving a boxed set of the fragrance and ringing it up.

Rosemary paid, thanking the man, before leaving the store, relieved that she had finally gotten Sirius something, yet slightly disturbed at the trouble she had in doing so.

OOO

Ginny sat curled up on the end of the couch near the fire, her nose buried in a book, rather like Hermione, she had realized. It was one of those rare quiet moments at The Burrow, and she took full advantage of it. Her father had left for work earlier, taking Bill and Charlie with him, claiming a little work experience would do the boys good. Her mother, deciding to do some last minute shopping, took the twins and Ron, leaving Percy with Ginny at The Burrow.

Why her mother thought taking Ron _and_ the twins shopping had been a good idea, Ginny may never know, though she had a feeling her mother had done so for Ginny's sanity. Being the youngest in the house, Ginny had never really known what Ron, Fred, and George were like as young children. In the two weeks that she had been at The Burrow, Ginny had finally realized just how strong of a woman her mother was.

As she lazily turned the page, she became aware of a presence before her.

"Hey, Percy. Is there something you need?" She asked of her brother, who stood in front of her, a calculating look on his face.

"Not really," he answered, obviously lying.

"Ok, then go find something to do," she offered, ignoring the lie, wanting to relish in her time alone.

Ginny returned to her book, completely aware of the fidgeting boy still standing before her. She kept her attention on the book, adamant on ignoring her brother. However, his fidgeting eventually turned to sighs and then finally annoyed throat clearings.

"Ok, there is obviously something you want," Ginny demanded, setting her book down, "Out with it."

Percy stared at her for a moment before blurting out, "I know you're not our long lost cousin. Mum and dad just fed us that lie to cover something up. Who're you really?"

Slight surprise passed over Ginny's features, though not for long. Percy had always been the brains of the family. Secrets were never really secrets if Percy was involved.

"You were always smart, Percy. Sometimes, towards the end, too smart for your own good. You should keep your mouth closed about things like that," Ginny said quietly, though there was a certain edge to her voice.

Percy frowned for a moment, her words difficult for his six year old brain to process, no matter how smart he was. Just when he opened his mouth again to ask her something else, a cold gust of wind traveled through the house as the back door swung open.

"That one's mine!" screeched Fred, darting into the kitchen in hot pursuit of George, trailing snow into the house, which quickly turned into puddles.

George ducked under the kitchen table, popping an orange lollypop into his mouth. "Nu uh, Mum gave me this one herself."

Ginny slowly shook her head at her brother's antics and went to help her mother, who had just walked in the door, Ron nestled in her arms, dead asleep. The quiet that had inhabited the house earlier that day vanished in return for the familiar sounds of the rambunctious Weasley children.

OOO

The week before Christmas turned out to be the busiest week for Remus at Agnition Books. Shipment after shipment of books came in, and he barely had time to keep up with the new merchandise, not to mention the influx of customers flooding the store.

On this particular afternoon, Remus found himself in the back storeroom unpacking a box of books. He grabbed one of the books and looked at the title, grinning.

_Muggle Magic Verses Wizard Magic_

Placing one to the side, he scooped up an armful of books and entered the small side room that was specially sectioned off for wizards and witches.

"Remus?" Shaena asked from the front of the store where she was currently manning the register.

"Yeah?" Remus answered, placing the books neatly on the shelves.

"We need more of the _Ancient Rituals_ series. Could you get some from the back please?" She requested, sounding quite panicky.

Remus voiced his comply before returning to the back room. After rummaging around in the various boxes piled against the wall, he unearthed the _Ancient Rituals_ series and grabbed a dozen, bringing them to the front.

A line of customers almost reached the door to the store. Several of the people waiting in line sported annoyed and impatient faces.

"Jeez," Remus exclaimed, depositing the _Ancient Rituals_ series on the indicated shelf, "why didn't you tell me you needed help?"

"Because we really need someone manning the back room today," Shaena said, her wavy blond hair escaping from her bun, leaving a messy halo around her face. The sleeves of the bulky sweater she wore were bunched up around her elbows, and her face was flushed.

Remus stepped behind the counter, grabbed an old ledger and motioned for some of the customers that he could help them. "What happened to Isabelle?"

"She went home sick a few minutes ago. I thought I could handle everyone," Shaena said, a slight wobble to her voice the only evidence that the stress had gotten to her.

"No worries, I'll help you get everything under control." Remus glanced at the woman next to him and smiled brightly.

Shaena returned his smile, a slight blush tinting her already rosy cheeks.

OOO

**Author's Note: **I would like to thank everybody who has read this, and also those who have read this and reviewed it. As I was reading through this chapter, editing it, I realized that there are numerous instances of foreshadowing in his chapter. Everything has a purpose in this chapter people! Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter; I enjoyed writing. Do you like how this is enfolding? Let me know.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

With her hood pulled over her head, obscuring her face, Lily slipped through the door of Slug and Jiggers Apothecary. Unfolding the list of ingredients she will need, Lily began pulling items from the shelves and dropping them into the basket slung over her arm. A scoop of bowtruckle eggs, a vial of powdered giant bones, three dried albino slugs, and a packet of juvenile pixie dust all went into the basket. Glancing at her list, she only had one more ingredient to get.

"How may I help you?" The middle-aged shopkeeper asked from behind the counter.

"I need two small vials of stork blood."

"All right, before I can get that for you, you'll need to fill out this form." He reached behind the counter and placed a piece of parchment before Lily. "Ok, this is just to say you understand the dangers of using blood in potions, and the laws regulating it."

Lily read over the short paragraph and signed her name where indicated.

"Just write in this box the nature of the potion you plan to use the stork blood in, sign and date it, and then I'll get you your stork blood."

Lily did as directed before the storeowner ducked into the backroom for a moment, resurfacing minutes later, two small vials of thick red liquid in his hand. After he rung up her purchases, Lily handed him the seven galleons and thirteen knuts she owed him and left the apothecary, her shrunken packages carefully tucked into the folds of her cloak.

* * *

Two days before Christmas, Lily slipped quietly into the potions lab in the basement of Godric's Hollow. She grabbed a gold cauldron from the cabinet next to the workbench and set it up on the bench, filling it with water and lighting a fire underneath the cauldron. While the water heated up, Lily retrieved the package of potions ingredients she'd hidden the other day and began preparing ingredients.

With a sharp knife, she sliced the albino slugs into paper-thin slices and placed them aside. Next, she mashed the bowtruckle eggs into a fine paste before adding in the vial of powdered giant bones. By this time, the water in the cauldron boiled rapidly. Lily carefully scooped up the sliced albino slug and dropped them into the water, followed by the egg and bone mixture. With her wand, she turned up the heat and let the mixture boil. Heavy plumes of purple steam spiraled to the ceiling. When the cauldron stopped steaming, Lily added the pixie dust and stirred twenty times clockwise before changing direction and stirring twenty more times counterclockwise. Once stirred, the potion took on a thick navy blue color.

Satisfied with the potion's progress, Lily turned down the heat, reducing the boil to a gentle simmer. She had just begun to clean up her workspace, when someone knocked at the door.

"Yes?" she called out.

"You in there Lils?" James asked.

"I'll be out in a moment."

As promised, moments later, Lily emerged from the lab. James smiled and kissed his wife before peering curiously into the lab as she closed the door.

"What were you making in there? It smelled like troll dung."

"Nothing important," Lily said with a small smile on her face.

James watched the door for a quick moment before shrugging, grabbing Lily's hand and directing her up the stairs. "Come on, Harry and I started decorating the tree."

* * *

Sirius sat at the small island in Rosemary's kitchen Christmas Eve night. His hands absentmindedly worked through a bowl of snap peas, quickly breaking off the ends and tossing them in the plastic bag. Although his hands were busy with the peas, his mind wavered from the task and set upon the petite brunette standing at the stove, stirring a large pot and tossing in various herbs and spices as she stirred.

Watching her cook, admiring the way her sleek brown hair cascaded down her back and the way her hips bumped back and forth to the music coming from the radio, he smiled and pushed down the ever growing worry about the large part of his life that he had not shared with her yet. It tugged at his mind, especially at night when he laid in bed. How would she react to hearing he was a wizard? Would she not believe him? Think him a liar? Or worse, despise him? That route of thought plagued him the most. To fathom the notion that the woman he was growing to love would despise the person he truly was.

Then again, there was the side of Sirius that told him to toughen up and tell her. He was Sirius Black. Marauder Extraordinaire. Something as miniscule as this should not bother him. He was a man, a Black, a Marauder.

He sighed.

"You almost finished with those, Hun?" Rosemary turned around; the wooden spoon she used poised midair, coated in a rich, red sauce, as she questioned him with her eyes.

"Just about," he said, pushing all prior thoughts out of his mind as he finished up with the peas and Rosemary took them, dumping them into another pot filled with boiling water.

"Well," she said, seating herself across from Sirius, "everything just needs to cook, and then you'll get to experience my famous spaghetti." She finished with a flourish and a sparkle of good-natured humor in her eye.

Sirius smiled, grabbing her hands. "I'm sure it'll be fantastic."

"Oh, come now," she said. "It's the only thing I know how to make without burning it beyond recognition."

He snorted. "You remind me of my friend, James."

Rosemary perked her eyebrows up and Sirius continued.

"He's a disaster in the kitchen. I swear on my favorite broomstick that he burnt salad last week," he said, and then stopped, catching his blunder too late.

Cocking her head to the side and frowning, Rosemary scrutinized Sirius. "You swear on your broomstick?"

Sirius' face grew warm. "It's…a…a family saying," he said, fumbling over his words as a weight akin to cold lead filled his stomach.

Rosemary leant forward, resting upon her crossed forearms. "A family saying?" The fact that she didn't believe him was painfully obvious.

"Y-yeah," he said, feeling as if he had just told James he was a Deatheater.

"I don't believe you," she said, an uncharacteristic coldness edging her voice.

"I…I…" He froze, unable to get the words out.

"You refuse to speak of your family," she said, the tension building in her body, evident in her voice.

"Well-"

"You won't let me in your apartment." Her eyes hardened.

"I'm a private person," he said meekly, leaning backwards as her anger grew.

"We're dating! There's supposed to be some sort of trust here, Sirius."

"I…I…"

"You're hiding something," she said. "I know you are."

Sirius grew cold, as if someone had dumped a bucket of water over his head. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't think. So, she spoke for him.

"I'm not stupid. I can see it in the way you fumble through your words." She moved around to the other side of the kitchen island and stood beside Sirius accusingly. "In the way you never tell me anything. I don't know anything about you," she said, anger and despair coloring the tones in her voice.

"That's not true," he said, looking into her eyes.

"Is it? What's your favorite book?"

Sirius remained silent.

"Favorite song?"

Silence

"Your favorite sports player?"

Sirius bit his lip and stared at the ground, frowning.

"What sports do you even like?"

He chanced a glance upwards, finding her standing before him, all her weight on one leg and her arms crossed over her chest, fuming at the ears.

"God Almighty, Sirius, I even see it in the way you look at me," she said, leaning down to look him in the eye. "Is this all just a lie? One great big lie?"

He winced, James' all too similar words running through his head. "No."

"Then what are you hiding?" she demanded. "I know you're hiding something. It's as clear as day, Sirius."

Taking a deep breath, he glanced up at her, and tried to tell her. Yet no words came out, nothing except silence that suffocated the air around them. And Rosemary waited, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently on the floor. When a considerable amount of time had passed with nothing exchanging between the two, Rosemary spoke, and none too gently.

"Out!" she demanded. "Get out."

Eyes wide, Sirius looked at her. "What?"

"Get out, we are through."

Sirius leapt to his feet. "No, Rosemary…"

"If you can't be honest with me, then there's no point in having a relationship." She pointed to the door. "Get out."

"But-"

"Get out."

"Rose-"

"Get out. Get out. Get out!" Grabbing his arm, Rosemary marched Sirius to the door, opened it and shoved him into the hallway. "We are over, Sirius Black."

With that, she slammed the door in his face. Numbly, Sirius stared at the door, a terrible feeling welling up in his chest.

And on the other side of the door, Rosemary slid to the floor, face buried in her hands, quietly sobbing.

* * *

Christmas morning, bound to the time demands of the potion she began two nights ago, Lily woke and crept downstairs, through the living room, the kitchen, and through the door and down the steps that lead to the potions lab. A chill swept around her robe-clad body and soaked through her pink, fuzzy slippers. Tying the sash of her robe around her tighter, Lily hugged herself and peered into the cauldron sitting quietly on the workbench, an _Incendio_ spell glowing beneath it. It bubbled gently, its previous navy blue hue from last night having lightened into a creamy color reminiscent of blueberries. Pleased, Lily set about work.

Using her wand, she increased the heat wavering beneath the cauldron until the potion began boiling. She opened a drawer beneath the counter to her left, retrieving the stork's blood she had bought the other day. Stirring the potion with her wand, she slowly let the blood trickle into the liquid and watched as it turned a deep, ruby red and released an aroma similar to strawberries in a fine pink cloud.

Nodding with satisfaction, Lily fished around in her robe pocket and produced a long sewing needle. Holding the needle in one hand, she quickly and swiftly pierced the skin on the finger of her left hand, and squeezed it, the blood welling up into a large, shiny droplet. She held her finger over the cauldron and let the drop of blood run off her finger and disappear into the potion.

Lily held her breath, anticipation tickling up and down her arms.

Then, as if changed by some unforeseeable force, the potion ceased its bubbling and turned as clear as water, the surface of which shimmered in a rainbow of colors as if someone had coated the surface with a fine layer of liquid dish soap.

And she smiled, her hands gravitating towards her belly.

* * *

Christmas morning began early for the Weasley's, as many mornings do for families with young children. It started with the bedroom door at the end of the hall on the second floor opening, and two young boys dashing out of their room.

"Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!" they shouted, racing up and down the hall in their pajamas dotted with tiny broomsticks.

At the opposite end of the hall, a similar door creaked open and Arthur poked his head out, his burnished, red hair sticking up on end.

"Fred and George! Go back to bed," he demanded, bleary-eyed and sleepy.

The twins stumbled to a stop before their father, gazing up at him with excitement shining in their eyes. "But it's Christmas," Fred said.

"Christmas!" George stressed.

"Boys," he said, "It is five in the morning."

"But it's Christmas."

"Christmas!"

"Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!" they both shouted, jumping up and down.

Staring at his boys wearily, Arthur opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as Ron began crying down the hall.

Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his unshaven face. "Fine," he said and began waking the rest of the house up.

* * *

Christmas for the Potter's was a much quieter affair than it was for the Weasley's. As the early morning hours dawned into the later hours of morning and then melded into the early afternoon hours, the small family of three lounged around the living room. Crumpled wrapping paper laid strewn about the floor, mixing itself with the ribbons and bows unconsciously discarded as the excitement of Christmas morning coursed through the house's inhabitants.

Sitting on the floor, beside the roaring fireplace, James tinkered with the Muggle music player Lily had gotten for him. He peered at it with interest, trying to figure out how to get the plastic rectangle she had called a cassette tape into the blasted thing.

Across from him, sitting on the couch, Harry paged interestedly through _Secrets of the Unknown: Uncovering What You Didn't Know_.

Beside him, his mother sat with a similar book open on her book, seemingly reading it; although, on close inspection she merely stared unseeingly at the pages.

"I can't wait any longer," she said, slamming the book shut and tossing it gently onto the coffee table.

Harry looked up, interested. "Can't wait for what, mum?"

She smiled. "I have an announcement."

James set the cassette player on the floor. "What is it, Lils?"

Pausing for dramatic effect, Lily beamed. "I'm pregnant."

There was a moment's silence as the news sunk in before James leapt to his feet, shouting with joy, and grabbed his wife around the waist, twirling her around joyously.

* * *

Afternoon at the Weasley's brought a rare quiet moment as the younger children, tired from a morning of gifts, had passed out from an overdose of excitement. The older children and adults took full advantage of the silence. Percy sat in the large, comfortable chair by the fire, _A Children's Guide to Potions_, by Wanda Stirring, open in his lap. Beside him, Charlie and Bill bent over the table, entranced in the new chess set Charlie had received. Upstairs, Molly slept, figuring the moment of peace was the best time for a short lie in, while Arthur tinkered in the kitchen with an assortment of plugs of all shapes and sizes Molly had given him.

Ginny, needing a few moments to herself, sought out the sanctuary of her bedroom. It was here that she mourned for all the past Christmases only she remembered, and for the people lost in the war who would never remember another Christmas.

Downstairs, the fire roared, turning a bright, emerald green. Hearing the fire, Ginny looked up, wiping the remnants of tears from her cheeks, and ventured out of her room. Quiet voices spoke, and she paused, one foot ready to step onto the first stair, one voice in particular being very familiar. The heavy weight that had settled into her chest lifted, and Ginny ran down the stairs, pausing at the bottom.

"Harry!" she shouted with joy, quickly crossing the living room floor and launched herself into the boy's arms.

Catching her, Harry embraced her tightly. "Merry Christmas, Ginny," he whispered in her ear.

"Merlin, I've missed you," she said, a fresh set of tears brimming her eyes.

Arthur stood beside them and rested his hand on Ginny's shoulder. "You know, I think I have some plugs out in the shed that I'd like to compare my new ones with," he said. "I'll be out in the shed if you need me." Turning, he left.

Harry and Ginny stood for several moments in each other's arms until someone politely coughed from behind them. Looking up, Ginny spotted her three brothers staring at them and took Harry's hand, pulling him into the now vacant kitchen.

"How's your Christmas going?" Ginny asked of Harry, both sitting down at the table.

Harry smiled. "It was fantastic," he said. "What I always dreamed of." Then, his smile faltered, a crease forming at his brow. "You've been crying," he said, running his thumb across her cheek.

Ginny smiled ruefully, covering Harry's hand with her own. "More like I've been remembering."

Nodding, Harry dropped his hand from her cheek, although still keeping her hand in his. "Do you remember last Christmas?"

"I do," she said and then chuckled. "Ron tried to light the candles on the tree and instead lit the drapes on fire. Nearly burnt the house down."

"I never did like those drapes," Harry said, resting his chin in his palm.

"Me neither," she said. "They were always full of doxies."

A moment passed in comfortable silence before Harry reached into his pocket. "I've brought you your Christmas present," he said, setting a small box clumsily wrapped in shiny, red paper on the table.

Ginny's eyes lit up. "Just a moment," she said, holding up a hand as she hurried to the small chest in the corner of the kitchen. Lifting the top, she rummaged around for a minute before returning to the table, placing a neatly wrapped gift beside Harry's.

Quirking an eyebrow, Harry looked at Ginny. "That a rather odd hiding place," he said.

Shrugging, Ginny grinned. "Fred and George have taken to invading my room when I'm not in it. I didn't want to take any chances." She nodded at Harry. "Well, open it."

Reaching out, he grabbed the wrapped present, tearing off the paper, revealing three books stacked one on top of the other. "Wow, The Complete History of Quidditch," he read. "I saw this the other day in Flourish and Blotts. How'd you know I wanted it?"

Grinning smugly, Ginny shrugged. "It's a gift."

Harry beamed at Ginny, leaning over to kiss her. "It's great," he said and then set it down. "Now, open mine."

Taking the small box in her hand, Ginny unwrapped it. "Oh, Harry," she breathed, carefully removing a gold chain from the box. At the end of the chain a golden heart hung; in the middle of the heart, a red gem glowed in the light. "Is…isn't this the…"

"The necklace I saw you ogling in the window of Jasper and Smith's Jewelry last March?" he said, a crooked smile upon his face.

Ginny stared at him, unable to speak.

"I was going to give it to you for your birthday…but then the war." He stared at her from behind the fringe of hair obscuring his eyes, waiting for her to say something, anything really.

Eyes beginning to water, Ginny continued to stare at him. "But…how?" she managed to croak.

Stepping towards her, he gently took the necklace and unclasped it. "When the war began," he said, fastening the chain around her neck, "I knew everything would be destroyed…or lost." Pulling her hair out from beneath the necklace, Ginny turned around, facing Harry. "So, I always kept the necklace with me…just in case."

"And you had it with you when we came here," she whispered, her fingers running over the smooth, warm metal of the heart.

Harry nodded.

The moisture building in her eyes finally spilled over, and Ginny hugged Harry fiercely. "Oh, Harry," she breathed, letting the tears soak their clothing.

* * *

Petunia flew around the kitchen like a hurried bird preening itself. Checking the timer on the oven, she cracked the door open, peeking at the turkey cooking within, the savory aroma drifting out and warming the kitchen. Shutting the door, she glanced around the kitchen, her hands gently patting her hair, swept up into a bun. The dough for the rolls rested in a covered bowl, still needing another twenty minutes to rise. Cans of gelatinized cranberry sauce stood on the counter, a glass bowl etched with delicate flowers sitting next to them. The potatoes danced and rolled in the pot of boiling water.

Upstairs, muffled grunts and grumbled could be heard, Vernon no doubt having trouble getting Dudley into his Christmas outfit. Looking at the ceiling, Petunia jumped as something crashed on the floor above. Sighing, she smoothed her hands over her apron and left the kitchen.

"Vernon?" she called up the stairs, her left hand resting on the wooden banister.

"Yes, dearest?" he responded.

"Is everything alright up there?" she asked. "I heard something fall."

He didn't answer, instead grunting, struggling with an invisible force. Another crash sounded, the house reverberating with its intensity. Tiny feet pounded down the hall, Dudley appearing at the top, his black pants halfway up his legs and only one arm in his green and red checked sweater.

"Mummy!" he shouted, descending the stairs, both hands gripping the banister.

"Dudums," she said, climbing up to meet him. "Go back upstairs. Daddy needs to help you get dressed."

The little, chubby boy halted, his arms crossing over his chest and a frown etched across his face. "No get dressed."

"But Aunt Marge should be here in ten minutes," she said. "Don't you want to look your handsomest for your Auntie?"

Dudley jutted his chin up snootily. "No get dressed."

"I bet she'll bring you presents."

He paused.

"Lots and lots of presents!" Petunia smiled largely, approaching her son one step at a time.

Dudley glanced at his mother. "Presents?"

She nodded. "Yes, Sweetums," she said, holding out her hand. "Come, let's finish getting you dressed."

A small smile spreading across his face, Dudley placed his hand in his mother's and climbed up the steps.

Five minutes and three tantrums later, Petunia returned downstairs, Vernon left with the job of combing his hair. Passing through the front hall, she stopped at the small table covered with holiday cards from all their friends and relatives. Smiling sadly, she glanced from one to the other, wishing she could trade all of them for the one she truly wanted but wasn't there: the one from her sister.

* * *

Sirius sat in his apartment. The shades were closed tightly, blocking any remaining light from the quickly setting sun. He slouched on his couch, the remote in his hand idly clicking between stations on the magically enhanced tele. However, the normal shows that typically entertained him, bored him this evening. His heart felt too heavy to endure an hour of Comedy Central. So, sighing dejectedly, he flipped to the next channel, trying not to think of the fact that he and Rosemary were supposed to spend Christmas evening together, her family still living in the United States.

Behind him, the fireplace he had installed and hooked up to the floo network flared to life.

"Padfoot?" James' head formed in the flames and Sirius turned around.

"Hey Prongs," he said, hauling himself off the couch and crouched down in front of the fire.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left for Rosemary's," he said, not noticing Sirius wince. "Do you still have that photo album from sixth year?"

"I think so," Sirius said.

"Great! I want to show Harry the sinkhole we created in the Entrance Hall. You remember that?" James grinned, his eyes glowing in the fire.

"Yeah," he said monotonously, standing up. "I'll go get it."

"Hey, Padfoot?"

Sirius paused, half turned around. "Yeah?"

"You ok? You look upset," James said, the jovial expression from remembering their schoolboy antics gone, replaced with concern and worry.

Shifting his weight to his right foot, Sirius sighed. "I'm alright."

"Hold on," James said, climbing through the fire. Standing up, he brushed the sooty ashes from his holiday robes and stared at Sirius. "Mate, I've known you for eight years. I know when something's up. I mean, you're still in your pajamas," he said, gesturing to the grey sweat pants and quidditch t-shirt Sirius wore.

Sirius fidgeted. "Rosemary broke up with me," he mumbled, looking anywhere except at James.

A minute of stilled silence passed before James spoke. "I was right wasn't I?"

Crossing his arms and clenching his jaw, Sirius frowned. "You don't need to rub it in my face."

James sighed. "Look, you're one of my best mates, but sometimes you're a little dense."

Sirius snorted. "And you're not?"

"Ok, so we're both a little thick in the head." James sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Look, let's talk about this tomorrow. How about you come over. It is Christmas."

Chewing his bottom lip, Sirius shrugged.

"Moony's over," James said, grinning crookedly.

"I guess," he said, and then looked at himself. "But I'm still in my pajamas."

"I don't think anyone will care," he said, tossing floo powder into the fireplace. "Honestly, I wouldn't care if you came naked."

Giving a half laugh, Sirius shook his head.

"But that would be a tad strange," James finished, disappearing into the green flames, Sirius following soon after.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I know, it's been ages and ages since I've updated. A lot of stuff has happened and I kind of lost inspiration with this fanfic. However, a few weeks ago I picked it back up, reread it, and fell back in love with it again. So, you can look forward to regular updates every Saturday. When you're done reading, please review!!! Oh, and if you want, check out my new fanfiction called, _Fire Dragon_. It's a Draco/Hermione fanfiction, and if you like that ship, you might like _Fire Dragon_. Go check it out! Thanks for reading and for all the reviews I've gotten!

-Sunne


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Sirius walked down the sidewalk, snow drifting from above. He had just gotten off work, and instead of flooing straight to his flat, he chose to floo to the nearest public flooing station, three blocks from his home. The fresh air did him good, and the walk cleared his mind of the issues nagging at his mind, mainly Rosemary. It had been two weeks since their break up. The new year had just begun, and instead of him celebrating it and starting anew, he dwelled on his problems.

James had been right; you couldn't have a relationship if you had to hide who you really were. Rosemary had picked up on his strange behavior and demanded an explanation, an explanation he couldn't give. In all seriousness, Sirius didn't blame her. All in all, he blamed himself. He brought this upon himself, and he would have to fix it.

The blustery wind ceased as he stepped into his building. Pulling off his gloves, Sirius headed down the hall. As he passed Rosemary's door, he paused, sighing. Then, gathering all the courage he could, all that famous Gryffindor courage, he turned to face her door and raised his hand to knock. Yet, his hand stayed raised in the air, never coming to rap on her door. It was a battle waged between his heart and mind. His heart needed him to apologize to her and explain everything. However, his mind played up on his fear, halting him every time he tried to talk to her. How could he even begin to explain that he was a wizard?

Sighing dejectedly, he turned and continued down the hallway, mentally berating himself, as he did nearly every day since their breakup.

* * *

"I just don't know what to do," Sirius said, sitting on the Potter's living room floor, as Remus and James played a game of Exploding Snap.

Remus glanced up at him. "Padfoot, you know what you have to do," he said, placing a card upon the trembling stack between him and James.

Sighing, Sirius leaned back on the couch behind him, resting his head on the cushions. "I know I have to tell her," he said. "I just don't know how."

At this moment, the stack on the table exploded, a small plume of black smoke rising in the air and settling on the table. Lily entered the living room, a frown on her face.

"What have I told you about playing this game in the living room?" she scolded, conjuring a rag and wiping up the soot covering the table.

James hung his head, although a small smile graced his lips. "Sorry Lils," he said.

Scooping up the cards, she strode out of the living room and back into the kitchen.

"Oh bugger, now we don't have anything to play," James said.

"We could play chess," Remus offered, but James shook his head.

"You've beaten me ten…no eleven times already today," he said.

"Hey," Sirius interjected, "what about me?"

James looked at him. "What about you?"

"I thought we were trying to fix my problems," he said.

"I don't mean to be harsh, Padfoot," Remus began, "but _you_ need to fix your problems."

Sirius sighed, aggravated. "I know that," he said. "I just don't know how to tell her."

"I think you'll just have to outright say it," Remus said.

Shaking his head, Sirius ran a hand through his hair. "I don't think she'll believe me."

"Well," James said, tapping his chin with his finger, "how do muggleborns come to believe in magic when they first get their letter?"

"I think someone from the Ministry comes and shows them magic so they believe," Remus said.

James turned to Sirius. "I guess you'll just have to show her."

"What if she freaks?"

He shrugged. "Then she freaks."

Nodding, Sirius sighed. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right! When have I ever been wrong?" James asked confidently.

"Prongs," Remus said, "do you really want him to answer that?"

Sirius half-grinned. "I think it'd take me all day."

James groaned and a round of good humored jesting ensued. When the laughing died down and the 'Sirius' jokes ended, James regarded Sirius with a touch more seriousness than a moment before.

"When you do tell her, mate," he said, "invite her over here for dinner." He gave a toothy grin. "We'll give her a proper introduction to magic."

* * *

Midway through next week, Sirius left his flat and headed down the hallway, a confident beat in his step. Arriving at Rosemary's door, he hesitated, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Sighing, he rubbed a nervous hand down his side and ran the other through his hair. The infamous battle between heart and mind began, the mind winning as it had the day before and the day before that.

Turning, as he had every day that week, Sirius returned to his flat.

* * *

Wednesday and Thursday followed in a similar fashion, mind winning over heart. On Friday, Sirius stood before her door, trying to steel himself for the conversation he knew he was going to have. However, he stayed rooted to the carpet as the minutes ticked on, his heart thudding and his palms sweating.

"Honey, you're going to have to knock sooner or later."

Sirius turned as a petite older woman with gray, curly hair passed, a brown paper bag of groceries in her arms.

"What?" he asked, feeling a tad dazed.

She nodded at the door he stood in front of. "You've been standing there for the past ten minutes," she said. "I've passed by you several times already."

"Oh," he said, and turned back to Rosemary's door.

"Don't worry," she said, patting him on the arm. "What's the worst that could happen?"

Laughing humorlessly, Sirius sighed. "Right," he said as the woman walked down the hallway and disappeared around the corner.

The woman out of sight, he stepped up to Rosemary's door, raised his hand, and pushed the fear that bubbled in his belly down. He took a deep breath and knocked sharply upon her door three times. Feet shuffled on the other side of the door, Sirius' stomach fluttered nervously, the metallic lock slid back, and the door was cracked open. Sirius managed to catch a glimpse of Rosemary's chocolaty brown hair before the door was slammed shut.

"Rosemary," he called out, "please open the door."

"Go away, Sirius."

"Rose-"

"Don't call me that," she growled.

"Rosemary, just hear me out," he said, resting one hand on the door frame.

"And why should I hear you out?" she questioned.

Sirius sighed, glancing quickly up and down the hallway. "Because I need to explain something to you."

"Well, explain away," she said, and he could imagine her standing on the other side of the door, her arms crossed and her foot tapping impatiently.

He sighed through his nose. "I-It's not exactly something I can explain…out…out in the open."

"And why not?"

"Because…it's kind of a…uh, delicate subject," he said, scratching his head.

He waited for her to answer, the silence stretching to uncomfortable lengths before she spoke. "Fine," she said, opening the door.

Sirius smiled blandly, stepping into her apartment. "Thanks," he said, taking in the drawn curtains covering the windows and the dirty dishes piled in the sink.

Rosemary stood just as he imagined, her arms folded and her foot tapping upon the hardwood floor. "Well," she said, nodding her head at him, "speak."

Sitting down on one of the stools along her kitchen island, Sirius ran his hand through his hair. "Merlin, I don't even know where to begin," he mumbled, more to himself than Rosemary.

"The beginning would be a good place to start," she said, none too kindly.

"Well," he began, "you were right when you said I was hiding something."

She nodded. "I thought so."

"I wanted to tell you." He glanced up at her. "I really did, loads of times. I just never knew how."

Rosemary sighed, aggravated. "Out with it, Sirius."

"Right," he said, nodding. "Rosemary, when I say this, I need you to believe me." He looked up into her eyes, searching.

She pursed her lips together. "Just say it," she demanded.

"I-I'm…a…a wizard," he said, the word sliding off his tongue easier than he imagined it would.

And then he waited, waited for her to say something, anything. Glancing up through his locks of black hair, he watched her, her face blank and expressionless. When she did speak, however, the words that came from her mouth were the last he expected would ever come from her.

"You are full of shit, Sirius," she bit out. "Get out." She pointed to the door.

"Rose-"

"Out," she demanded.

"Please," he said, standing up.

"Get out. I never want to see you again," she said. "I can't believe you'd lie to me…again!"

"It's not a lie."

"Of course it is. Now," she said, grabbing his left arm, dragging him towards the door, "get out."

Panicked, Sirius reached his right hand around, grabbing the wand he had shoved in his back pocket. He pointed it across her apartment, at the tall bookshelf in the corner. "_Accio_ book," he said, and a thin, red book came sailing across the room.

Rosemary froze, her hand on the doorknob, her eyes wide open and focused on _A Yoga Instructor's Guide to Teaching_, by Peony Wellsworth, grasped in Sirius' hand.

Book in hand, he looked her square in the eye. "I'm not lying," he said.

Her face conveying the shock she felt, Rosemary slowly took the book from Sirius' hand. "Do it again," she whispered.

Smiling, Sirius happily obliged. "_Lumos_," he said and his wand lit up like a flashlight.

Passing her hand through the beam of light, Rosemary laughed nervously. "It's real," she said. "It's really real."

Sirius nodded. "It is."

"Can you do anything else?" she asked.

Smiling, Sirius nodded. "I can," he said, and promptly changed into Padfoot. Panting, the shaggy, black dog stared up at Rosemary, his mouth hanging open and his tongue lolled out.

"Oh my," she breathed, her fingers flying up to her mouth. Tentatively, she reached down and patted Padfoot's head.

Whining with pleasure, he closed his eyes, enjoying her hand running through his fur, before changing back. Once again a man, Sirius stood and regarded Rosemary again. "I'm sorry I kept this from you," he said.

Squeezing her eyebrows together, Rosemary bit her bottom lip and ran a hand down Sirius' arm. "I understand," she said. "Are…are there more…people like you?"

"Wizards?"

She nodded.

"Yes, and witches too…thousands of them," he said.

"Tell me about them?" she asked, her brown eyes' gaze directed into his own blue gaze.

Nodding, they sat down in the living room, and Sirius began explaining everything he could about the Wizarding World.

* * *

Saturday evening, Rosemary knocked on Sirius' door. He answered, quickly ushering her into his flat, closing the door behind her. Taking in his flat, seeing it for the first time, she smiled.

"Are you ready?" Sirius asked, kissing her on the forehead.

She nodded. "How are we getting there?"

"Um, I'll probably apparate you there," he said.

"What's that again?" she asked, creasing her brow in curiosity.

"Where you disappear and reappear somewhere new," he said. "I don't think you're ready for flooing quite yet." Sirius smiled down at Rosemary and grabbed her hand.

"Ok," she said, taking a deep breath. "How do we do this?"

"Well, you don't do anything," he said, grinning. "Just hold tight to my arm. I'll do all the work."

Wrapping her hand around his arm tightly, Rosemary nodded. "Ok, I'm ready."

Sirius set his hand atop her hand. "You might want to close your eyes," he said. "It'll make it easier."

Rosemary closed her eyes and readied herself to be a part of her first bit of magic. Her stomach fluttered nervously, but Sirius' constant presence beside her helped to quell those feelings. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the entire universe seemed to collapse, the weight of which squeezed Rosemary from all sides. The sensation, no matter how uncomfortable or odd, ended within seconds.

"Open your eyes, love," Sirius said. "We're here."

Rosemary opened her eyes, and instead of her standing in Sirius' living room, she stood in an entirely different living room with a fireplace to her left and a grouping of comfortable looking couches and armchairs clustered around a coffee table to her right.

"I'll just be a moment," Sirius said, patting Rosemary's arm as she took in the room. She nodded and Sirius took off for the stairs. "Prongs! Oy, Prongsie!" he shouted as he leapt up the stairs, two at a time.

Left to her own devices, Rosemary stayed rooted to where she stood, looking around awkwardly. On the mantle of the fireplace on her left, several framed pictures sat. Stepping towards them, Rosemary studied them closely, gasping when a handsome black haired man around Sirius' age waved at her. The red head next to him chose to merely stare adoringly at him. Laughing and shaking her head, Rosemary glanced at the other pictures, all of them moving. The frame in the center caught her eye as a cherubic baby boy crawled out from one edge of the frame, disappearing through the opposite edge. She reached out, taking the picture in her hand, smiling. The fireplace suddenly flared to life, and Rosemary, startled, dropped the picture. Glass shattered across the stone hearth.

"Hello? Is Harry around?"

Rosemary jumped from her crouched position where she was hastily picking up the pieces of glass scattered across the dark gray stones. A young woman's face materialized in the fire, and Rosemary stared at her with wide eyes.

The young woman tilted her head to the side. "Am I in the right fire? I don't recognize you," she said. "This is the Potter's fire, right?"

"Yes," Rosemary answered, still gawking at the head in the fire.

"Anyways, is…" the woman trailed off, staring at the hearth and the glass scattered about. "Oh, did you break something?"

"Um…you startled me," Rosemary answered, still unable to tear her eyes away from the fire.

"Oh, quite sorry about that," she said, studying the hearth. "Here, I'll help you."

Wide eyed, Rosemary hastily scooted backwards as the young woman came through the fire. She brushed her robes off and pointed her wand at the glass.

"_Reparo_," she said, and the glass lifted and seemingly glued itself back together within seconds. "There, all fixed." She smiled, and then stuck her hand out. "I'm Ginny Weasley."

Rosemary shook Ginny's hand as she placed the fixed frame back on the mantle. "Rosemary Neyet," she said.

"Sirius' girlfriend, right?"

Rosemary nodded.

Ginny tipped her head to the side. "You're a muggle, right?"

Slowly, Rosemary nodded, remembering Sirius' explanation of muggles from the previous night. "I am," she said.

At this moment, Sirius returned, a tall man with black hair following him. "Rosemary, love," he said, "this is one of my best mates, James."

"Nice to meet you," she said, extending a hand.

"Likewise," he said, shaking her hand, and then turned towards Ginny. "Harry's upstairs, you can go on up."

"Thanks, Mr. Potter," she said.

"It's James, Ginny. Mr. Potter was my father," he shouted after her.

"I know, Mr. Potter," she said, grinning cheekily.

"I never imagined the cheek that could come out of that one's mouth," James said, gesturing a thumb in Ginny's direction.

Sirius chuckled. "Well, Harry did warn you about her."

"That he did. Now, did you warn her about us?" he asked, pointing to Rosemary.

"He did," Rosemary answered. "Many times."

James grinned, folding his arms across his chest, and tilted his head to the side. "Did he now?"

Rosemary smiled sweetly. "Yes, specifically about your cooking."

"Padfoot!" James socked Sirius in the arm. "What sort of lies are you feeding her?"

Sirius merely smiled.

Lily then came down the stairs, running her hands down the sides of her body as if she were smoothing out wrinkles. "James, have you…oh, hello," she said, spotting Rosemary. "You must be Rosemary," she said. "I'm Lily."

Stepping forward, Rosemary held out her hand, but Lily ignored it, hugging her instead. "We've heard so much about you," Lily said.

"I hope nothing bad," Rosemary said, laughing.

"Everything's been good so far," Lily said, then squinted her eyes. "There isn't something Sirius isn't telling us is there?"

Rosemary glanced at Sirius, who was engaged in conversation with James. "Not that I know of," she said, laughing as Sirius began wrestling with James on the ground. "Are they always like this?"

Lily smiled sadly. "The prospects of James growing up lessens each day," she said, giving Rosemary a knowing look. Then, she stepped forward, nudging the two men with her foot. "Alright, boys, break it up." When they continued play-fighting, Lily sighed and led Rosemary into the kitchen. "You get used to their antics," she said.

Rosemary nodded. "At least it's never dull," she said.

Lily raised her eyebrows. "True."

The kitchen smelled of freshly baked cookies, and a cookie sheet of sugar cookies sat on the stovetop, steam still rising from their pale surfaces. Beside them, a pot of pasta sauce bubbled quietly as a charmed wooden spoon stirred the sauce slowly. Walking up to the stove, Rosemary watched the spoon, poking it curiously with her finger.

"I can't believe an entire society has been living practically right beneath my nose," she said.

Lily nodded. "I know the feeling."

"You do?" Rosemary asked, frowning at Lily.

"I'm a muggleborn," Lily explained, cutting a loaf of French bread into thick wedges. "My parents were muggles."

"Oh."

"I still remember the moment I received my letter to Hogwarts," she said.

"That's your school, right?"

She nodded. "Right. Well, this person from the Ministry showed up the next day," she explained. "To show us magic and make us believe."

Rosemary nodded.

"Well, when he waved his wand and a bouquet of flowers shot out from the end, my sister fainted dead away," she said, laughing, bitterness edging the sound.

"I didn't know you had a sister."

"Unfortunately," Lily said. "She's not too keen on magic."

"Oh."

"I haven't talked to her for over a year now."

"That's too bad," Rosemary said, then added, feeling Lily's sister was a sore subject: "Is there anything I can help with?"

Glancing around the kitchen, Lily pointed to the cupboard next to the sink. "If you could get the plates out of that cupboard and set the table, that'd be lovely."

In the middle of Rosemary setting the table, James and Sirius entered the kitchen, another man following him.

"Hey, Rosemary," Sirius said. "This is Moony."

She shook his hand as she had with Lily and James.

"I'm the sane one around here," he said, winking.

"Hey!" Lily poked him with a spoon. "Don't forget about me."

"And Lily," he added.

"Oy! We resent that, Moony," James said, crossing his arms in mock anger. Sirius followed his example and Rosemary giggled.

Introductions complete, dinner soon became the priority in the Potter's kitchen.

"So," Rosemary began as they all sat down at the table for dinner, "why the nicknames?"

"We started it in school," Sirius said. "It was kind of our…thing…among many others." He chuckled, along with James and Remus.

"They called themselves the Marauders," Lily said.

"The Marauders? Why the Marauders?"

"We were quite famous for our pranks," James said. "Still are, really."

"We're legends." Sirius winked at Rosemary.

Lily leaned over towards Rosemary. "More like infamous troublemakers," she whispered into her ear, causing Rosemary to giggle.

"Hey," James spoke up, "no making fun."

"We're not, dear," Lily said simply.

"Mum?" Harry poked his head into the kitchen, Ginny beside him.

Lily leaned back and glanced at her son. "Yes?"

"Ginny's mum has invited me over for dinner," he said, his eyes looking at her questioningly.

"Alright, dear," she said. "Have fun and tell Molly hello for me."

He smiled his thanks and ducked out of the kitchen, the fireplace in the other room flaring up a moment later.

Rosemary frowned, her fork poised midair. "Was that…who…did you…"

"It's rather complicated," James said.

"And there's really no other explanation other than he's our son," Lily said.

"But how?"

The kitchen fell into silence, a series of loaded looks passing between Lily, James, Remus, and Sirius.

"Before we explain," Sirius said, looking Rosemary in the eye, "you need to promise that anything you hear tonight won't leave this house."

Rosemary nodded.

"Have you ever heard of alternate universes or realities?" Sirius asked.

Frowning, Rosemary nodded. "I read an article once when I was in college about the possibility of alternate universes," she said. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"Harry and his friend, Ginny…I believe you met her," Lily said.

She nodded.

"They're from an alternate universe parallel to ours."

Rosemary pursed her lips and frowned. "Is…is this…normal in your world?"

James shook his head. "No, they are the only two we know of who've traveled from one universe to another."

"But…he's almost as old as you."

"Time isn't exactly linear from universe to universe," Remus explained and Rosemary turned towards him. "It's 1982 here and 1997 in their world."

She nodded. "But why did they come to this universe?"

Lily sighed sadly. "Their reasons I'm afraid are a rather sensitive subject," she said.

"Oh. Wow," she said. "I almost don't know what to think."

"Most don't, love," Sirius said, patting her hand. "It's ok." He grinned mischievously. "You'll get used to it."

"Well," Lily said, standing from the table and collecting the empty plates, "is anybody ready for dessert?"

* * *

After dessert, the four convened in the living room, a photo album open on Sirius' lap drawing everybody's attention and laughter.

"Oy, Prongs," he said, pointing to one of the pictures. "You remember this?"

James leaned over and grinned. "Oh yeah, I'd almost forgotten about that."

Sirius glanced at Rosemary sitting next to him. "Our third year we managed to blast a hole in the ceiling of the Great Hall."

"I've never seen Dumbledore yell so loud…in fact," James said, tapping a finger against his chin, "that's the only time I'd ever heard him yell."

"Got three months of detention for that one," Remus said.

"Scrubbing toilets." Sirius grimaced.

"You lot deserved it too," Lily said. "Could've killed someone, ya know."

"Hey!" James spoke up, pointing to another picture. "I remember this."

Remus craned his neck. "Hah, that was the fourth time we'd turned the Slytherin's pink that year."

"They stayed that color for a month," Sirius said, laughing at the memory.

Turning the page, James, Sirius, and Remus burst into laughter.

"Oh my God," Rosemary said, bringing her fingers to her lips.

Four boys stood in the center of what once was a classroom. The walls, charmed varying shades of puke green and mustard yellow, seemed to revolt against the burgundy shag carpet. In the center of the room, a disco ball hung, spinning and sending flashes of multicolored light spiraling around the room.

"Turning McGonagall's classroom into a disco club was our best achievement that year," Sirius said wistfully.

"You remember what she did afterwards?" Remus said.

"Oh, Merlin." James shook his head. "I've never seen that woman run so fast."

"I thought we had a banshee coming after us."

"She sure sounded like one," James said.

Laughing, Rosemary shook her head. "Lily was right. You lot are a bunch of troublemakers."

"Personally," Sirius said, leaning back, "we prefer Marauders."

* * *

**Author's Note - **Thanks for reading. I hoped you enjoyed this chapter, it was one of my longest coming in at 14 pages and nearly 4,000 words. Make sure to review and let me know not only what you think overall, but what your favorite part was in this chapter. Thanks again!

-Sunne


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